Being Herself
by Lodylodylody
Summary: An invention of Arwin's causes major complications for both London and Carey. Both women end up learning a few things about each other...and about their loved ones. There will be some London/Cody and some Carey/? moments before the story is over.
1. Chapter 1

Anyone that was familiar with the Tipton Hotel in Boston would agree that it was a fine establishment. But those same people would not agree that it was an ordinary hotel. Anyone that was truly familiar with the Tipton was well aware that outlandish, and usually amusing, happenings were par for the course there. But the chain of events that began on a recent afternoon in May were more outlandish than usual.

It started innocently enough, when a few phone lines in the hotel began malfunctioning. One of those affected by this technical snafu was Carey Martin, the Tipton's lounge singer and a long term resident. While a broken phone line was not that big a deal in the age of wireless communication, Carey still thought the problem should be fixed in short order. But since she couldn't call downstairs with a broken phone, she made the journey down from her suite to the lobby...and traveled down further to the basement of the Tipton to find the hotel engineer, resident handyman and amateur inventor, Arwin.

"Carey," Arwin greeted the singer happily, clumsily dropping a wrench and a few other objects as he did so. It was a well-known fact that Arwin was quite infatuated with the lovely entertainer, and he could sometimes become quite befuddled in her presence. "What brings you down here?"

"My phone," Carey answered. "The phone in my suite isn't working."

"Oh, well you can count on me to fix it," Arwin replied enthusiastically. "I'm always at your service. That's me. I'm your man."

Carey smiled slightly and shook her head. She'd tried a number of times in the past to explain to Arwin that she only liked him as a friend...but nothing seemed to diminish his crush on her. She'd learned to just accept it, though she kept hoping that he'd get over her and turn his attentions to someone else.

"I just need the phone fixed Arwin," she said. "Get to it when you can."

Carey then turned to leave, but found her way blocked by the last person she expected to find entering Arwin's basement workroom...London Tipton.

"Hey Carey. What are you doing here?" the young heiress asked in her usual direct manner.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," the older woman responded. "But I just came down to ask Arwin to fix my phone."

"Yours isn't working either?" London asked. "That's why I came down. None of the lines in my suite are working."

"Oh really?" Arwin chimed in. "Well, it's probably just a loose connection somewhere. I should be able to get both of your suites connected again in no time." He began to gather up a number of tools from his table and put them in a carrying case. A frown came to his face as he looked over the table. "Now where did those go?"

"Something wrong?" Carey asked.

"I swore I had some cable splicers here a second ago," the engineer responded, as he bent down to look under the table. "Maybe I dropped them."

Carey and London both began to look around the room as well in an effort to assist Arwin, although they didn't really know what to look for.

"Oh, this looks like a kind of cable," London said as she reached for a loosely coiled red wire in the corner of the room.

It's not a cable I'm looking for," Arwin said as he crawled around on the floor, continuing his search. "It's a cable splicer. I..." His words died in his throat when he glanced over to what London was reaching for. His eyes grew wide and he yelled out in a panic. "No! Don't touch that!"

Carey was standing only a step away from London when Arwin yelled. Hearing the frantic tone of the engineer's voice, Carey could only conclude the cable London was about to grab was highly dangerous. Fearing that the young heiress could be electrocuted, Carey reached out to grab London and pull her back.

Unfortunately, London also reacted at the same time. Frightened by Arwin's yell, she tried to jump backwards and collided with Carey. Both women lost their balance and they fell forward...right onto the red wiring.

The good news was, neither of them were electrocuted. The red wire actually turned out to be perfectly harmless. The problem lay in the bizarre metal box covered with dials and light bulbs that the wire was hooked up to. When Carey and London landed in a heap on top of one another, tangled in the red wiring, the box lit up...and then things got strange.

Carey looked at London. London looked at Carey. Their eyes locked. Everything got blurry.

The next thing Carey knew she was flat on her back, on the floor, and someone who sounded a lot like Arwin was talking very loudly near her face.

"London? London?" Arwin repeated. "Are you okay?"

Carey opened her eyes to see Arwin leaning over her. He had a very worried look on his face.

"Why are you calling me London?" Carey asked, and then wondered why her own voice sounded so odd. She turned her head to the side and saw...

...herself.

She saw her own body on the ground next to her. She saw that body turn it's head toward her and open it's eyes. And then that Carey Martin's mouth opened up and screamed.

"AAAIIIEEEE!"

Watching herself, or her double as it were, scream in panic was very unsettling to Carey. She tried to get to her feet and back away from the screaming imposter, but she was still feeling a bit woozy and couldn't move that quickly. As she sat up, strands of long raven hair fell across her face. She reached up her hand to brush the hair away before she realized that her hair shouldn't be that long or that black. Also, her hand...the one she was right now holding in front of her face...was NOT her hand. It was smaller, the nails were longer, and it had an entirely different skin color and tone than her hand should have.

After taking a few deep breaths, Carey turned to face Arwin.

"What is happening here?" she demanded.

"I'm not sure, London," he answered.

"She's not London!" the imposter Carey shouted. "I'm London!"

Arwin looked over to the shouting woman and then shifted his glance back and forth between the two women.

"Oh boy," he said. "This is not good."

* * *

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Carey was reluctantly arriving at the unbelievable conclusion even before Arwin nervously began to explain the current situation.

"Alright," he said. "What's happened here is that you two have switched your minds...or bodies, depending on how you want to look at it."

"What?!" said the woman who appeared to be Carey.

"Uh, well," Arwin replied to her. "You're London...but you're in Carey's body now. That's why you can see your original body standing right over there."

"Arwin," Carey said as she tried very hard to remain calm. "The machine with the wires we fell into. That caused this switch?"

The engineer nodded.

"And what exactly is this machine? One of your inventions?"

"Yes," he responded. "That's my brain wave transfer machine. The B.W.T."

"Right," Carey continued, clenching her teeth just a little. "Now can I ask you something?" She motioned for him to come closer, as if she were going to whisper in his ear. When he got next to her however, she stopped trying to appear calm and bellowed at him as loud as she could.

"WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU INVENT A BRAIN WAVE TRANSFER MACHINE?!"

The ferocity and volume of Carey's question sent Arwin reeling and he fell on the floor. Before he had a chance to recover, London (in Carey's body) kneeled down next to him and grabbed him by the collar of his coveralls.

"Change me back!" she demanded. "I want to be in my body!"

Carey (in London's body) was soon crouching down over him as well. Both women had particularly menacing looks on their faces.

"I will!" he promised. "I can! I will! Right now! Don't hurt me!"

After the women let him up, Arwin hurried over to pick up his B.W.T machine and began adjusting the wires.

"Just give me a second, and everything will be fine," he said. "You know, I didn't mean for anything like this to happen."

"Well what do you expect is going to happen when you come up with a crazy machine like that?" Carey asked.

"I didn't really think about that," Arwin replied. "You have to understand, it's hard to be an inventor in this day and age. All the really good and practical machines have already been invented. If you want to invent something new and different...well, you have to get a little 'out there' in your thinking."

"Some people might find that really interesting," London said. "But if you don't get me back in my body in the next thirty seconds, I'm going to have you fired, evicted and...deported!"

"Uh, you can't have him deported, London," Carey explained.

"When you have enough money, you can do anything you want," London answered, and then glared at Arwin.

"Don't worry," the engineer said. "It's okay. I just have to hit this switch."

Arwin hit the switch and the machine started to hum. The lights on it started to glow...but then promptly sparked and died.

"Oh, that's not good," he said.

"Arwin," Carey said, once again clenching her teeth.

"Umm...well," he said. "I think the circuit board is a little burnt out."

Both women stepped toward him menacingly.

"But I can get a new one!" he hastily added.

Carey and London both looked less threatening and let out sighs of relief at that news.

"If I put in a rush order, it should be here on Monday," Arwin explained.

"WHAT?!" both women yelled before advancing on him again.

"You expect us to stay like this until Monday?" Carey demanded.

"That's..." London began but then stopped to count off the days on her fingers. "That's this many days from now!" she finished as she held up four fingers to Arwin's face.

"I'm sorry but this requires a very specific type of circuit, and there's no way it can get here any faster," he said.

Carey and London both looked at each other, and each saw the worry on the other's face.

"This won't work," said Carey in a despairing tone. "The weekend shows are the busiest ones in the lounge, I can't miss them. I could lose my job."

"And I have to tape a new episode of my web show tomorrow," London said, equally upset. "And Portia and Chelsea are visiting this weekend. How do I explain this to them?"

While Carey thought that London's problems in this situation were not nearly as dire as her own, she did respond to the heiress's last statement.

"You can't explain it," she said very seriously. "If we tell anyone else about this...they'll think we're crazy and probably try to put us in a loony bin."

London gasped. "No! Really?"

Carey nodded grimly. "The only one to back up our story is Arwin, and who's going to believe him?"

"Hey," said Arwin, taking offense at that comment. London and Carey each shot him a hostile look in response.

"Yeah," he conceded. "You have a good point."

"Well then," London said as she stood up straighter and got a determined look in her eyes. "We're just going to have to pretend to be each other until we can switch back."

While Carey wished she could take comfort in the sudden resolve that London was showing, she feared that the heiress didn't realize how hard that would be. Then again, what choice did they have?

"Alright, we'd better go upstairs and make plans," Carey said with noticeable resignation.

"And I'll call to get that new circuit board," Arwin chimed in.

Carey turned back to look at him. "You do that. And if you don't have us switched back by Monday, you'd better hope that London can have you deported...before I get my hands on you!"

Arwin gulped, as Carey and London exited the room.

* * *

To be continued...

_**author's note:** I'm afraid the writing in this story so far isn't that great...but I'm going to try to improve as it continues. Any feedback would be really welcome._


	3. Chapter 3

Carey led London back up to the Martin family suite. Thankfully the boys weren't home, so both women would have some time to discuss their plans. Unfortunately, Carey wasn't sure what kind of plan she could make to deal with her current problem. Not only did she have to worry about her job, but there was the matter of her boys. How was London going to be able to act like their mother and not screw everything up?

"Why are we here?" London asked. "My penthouse is nicer...and bigger. If we're going to be stuck like this for awhile, we might as well be comfortable."

"Zack and Cody can't be left alone for four days," Carey protested. "We've got to prepare you to act like me...their mother." Even as she said the words, the task seemed impossible to Carey. "Do you know how to cook? Anything?"

London stared back incredulously at Carey. "Why would I know how to do that?" she answered. "Just have them order room service."

"I can't afford room service for four days."

London dismissed the objection with a wave of her hand. "Oh, I'll pay for it. I'll just tell Moseby to put all the charges on my tab." London paused. "Or you will, I guess. Since he'll think you're me. Anyway, just tell Moseby."

"And how do I explain why you're paying for the boys' meals?"

"I don't know. Tell him I owe you a favor or something."

Carey pondered for a moment. She could come up with a reasonable explanation, she supposed. And perhaps it would be better to let the boys be on their own for a few days rather than have London watching over them.

"Okay, I think I can work something out with that. But I still need to figure out what to do about my job."

"I'll do it for you," London said.

"But you can't sing," Carey replied.

"I know that," the heiress said. "But I'm not me now, I'm you."

Carey looked at the other woman as if she'd lost her mind.

"I'm in your body, right? So I'm using your voice," London explained. "And you can sing."

Carey was about to object, but wondered if London might have a point. "Do you remember the scales I taught you?"

"I think so," the heiress answered. Carey's attempt to give her singing lessons hadn't been that long ago, so London did have at least a partial memory of the vocal exercises. She took a deep breath and began to sing.

"Dough yay me far so la tee dough." London smiled after going through her own unique version of the scales. "Hey, I sounded good."

Carey, to her own surprise, had to agree. Carey had always had an outstanding singing voice, and now that London was in her body, it seemed the heiress could tap into that vocal talent naturally.

"You were in tune," Carey said. "If we choose some songs that aren't too complicated and don't have a lot of octave changes, you could pull this off."

"Yay!" London clapped her hands excitedly. Past experience had shown her that she had no musical talent. But now she'd finally have an opportunity to perform on stage...and be good at it. "Oh, I'd better get some outfits to sing in."

"I have plenty of outfits for the show," Carey said.

London scoffed. "Please, I do not wear used clothing...even if I'm in somebody else's body." A large smile spread across her face. "I'm going to go shopping."

The heiress turned to leave then, but Carey stopped her.

"Wait, we have more to figure out."

"We'll figure it out later," London said. "Just go tell Moseby about the room service...and then meet me in my place later. We have to go over plans for my web show anyway."

London hurried off then. Carey was a bit annoyed, but decided it was probably for the best. She'd make plans for all the issues she and London would have to deal with by herself, and then go over it with the heiress later.

First though, she would go talk to Mr. Moseby.

* * *

As she made her way through the lobby, Carey noticed many eyes glancing toward her. It disturbed her at first, wondering if there was something wrong. Then she realized it was simply the fact that she was in London's body. Everyone thought she was the famous young heiress.

_I never realized just how much strangers gawk at London," _she thought._ I wonder if it bothers her...or maybe she's used to it._

She saw the hotel manager by the main desk and approached him.

"Mr. Moseby," she said. "I need a favor."

"Really," he replied with a puzzled expression. "Is something wrong?"

Carey wondered why her boss seemed so surprised, but then guessed what had caught him off guard. She was in London's body now, and London didn't usually ask for favors, she gave orders. And she never called her hotel manager 'Mr. Moseby' - she just used his last name.

"No, nothing's wrong. I just need you to do a favor for Carey. Let her have free room service for the next four days. Just charge it to me."

"Well, that's generous of you. What prompted this act of kindness?" the manager asked.

"Oh, Carey helped me out with a big problem," she explained. "I just wanted to pay her back."

The look in Mr. Moseby's eyes grew serious. "A big problem? What kind of problem?"

Carey was surprised by how worried her boss looked. "It's nothing."

"It must be something, London," he replied. "Why else would you feel the need to pay her back? Are you alright? You know if you have a problem you can always come to me."

_Wow, he's really concerned_, Carey thought. _I'd better come up with a good explanation._

"It's nothing bad," she told Moseby. "It was just...female stuff. That's why I didn't come to you."

"Oh...I see," he answered, seeming to accept that explanation. "Very well then, I'll see that the Martins have free room service as you requested."

"Thanks Moseby," Carey said with a smile, trying to sound more like London. "You're the best."

As she left the lobby, she didn't see the worried look return to Moseby's face.

* * *

To be continued...

_**author's note:** Please give feedback. Pretty please.  
_


	4. Chapter 4

London was having unexpected difficulty with her spur of the moment shopping trip. First of all, she couldn't get her limo to take her to the shopping district...or anywhere for that matter.

_Everyone thinks I'm Carey_, she realized. _Oh no! I won't be able to use my credit cards! Wait...I don't even have my credit cards!_

London had taken Carey's purse by mistake. She briefly pondered whether she should just use Carey's credit card to go shopping, but decided that would be a bad idea. London doubted that Carey's credit limit would be able to handle the type of spending that London was accustomed to.

_I'll go back upstairs and get my purse,_ the heiress thought as she stepped back into the Tipton lobby. _I'll use my ATM card to get some cash and then go shopping. _

As she headed for the elevator, London heard Mr. Moseby's voice ringing through the lobby. He was calling out to Carey. She wondered why he was raising his voice, until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw that it was Moseby's hand.

"Carey," he said. "Didn't you hear me?"

_Oh duh!_ London chided herself mentally_. He was calling for me. I've got to remember that I'm Carey now._

"Sorry," she replied to the hotel manager. "My mind was wandering. What's up?"

"I'd like to speak to you for a moment. Could you step into my office?"

"I sorta have to do some-"

"I need to discuss an important matter with you," Mr. Moseby said, cutting off her objection. There was a determined look in his eyes that indicated he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Okay," London said meekly as she followed him to his office. She was worried about what Moseby wanted. If there was something important he and Carey needed to talk about, London hoped she didn't cause a problem by saying the wrong thing.

Once they were in the office and both had taken a seat, Moseby gave London what seemed like a somewhat forced smile.

"I understand London came to you with a problem recently?"

The question confused London for a moment. Her only answer was a puzzled look.

"You helped London with a problem of some sort," he continued. "And in return she's paying for your room service for the next few days."

"Oh...yeah," the heiress responded. "I didn't know she'd talked to you about that already."

"Yes, she did. And what I'd like to know is what kind of problem she came to you with."

London gulped. She didn't know what kind of answer to give. "Well, it was a...problem. But it's taken care of."

"She said it was a big problem," said Moseby.

"Uh...what else did she say?"

"She said she went to you for help because it was a..." Moseby paused and looked slightly uncomfortable. "...female problem. That was all she told me."

London considered this information. She thought that Carey was very smart for coming up with that kind of explanation. Now, it would be easy to deflect Moseby's questions.

"That's right," she told the hotel manager. "She just needed some...womanly advice. Not the kind of thing you can talk to a man about."

"But is she in trouble?" Moseby asked. "I'm not trying to pry, but it is my responsibility to look after her."

"No, it's fine. Really. Nothing to worry about."

The intense look in Mr. Moseby's eyes faded and he let out a slight sigh. "Well...that's good then."

"Are you alright?" London asked. "You seem a little...I don't know."

"I'm sorry Carey. I suppose I'm just a bit out of sorts. When London told me she'd gone to you for help with a 'big' problem, I..." he let his words trail off.

"What's the matter?" London asked.

"It's silly really," Moseby replied. "You know, I've looked after London for, well, her entire life. And now that she's almost an adult, I sometimes think about the fact that she'll be moving on someday. Going out into the world and...not needing me to take care of her anymore."

London took a moment to digest Moseby's words. She herself hadn't given any thought to the fact that someday Moseby wouldn't be as big a part of her life as he was now. She'd always been used to him being there for her.

"Well, all kids move on when they grow up" she said, not knowing what else to say. "That's the way it's supposed to be, right? And it's not like you'll never see London again. I'll visit...I mean, I'm sure she'll visit you and keep in touch."

"Yes, I'm sure she will. I hope she will. It's just that...well, it's as you said, Carey. Children growing up and moving on is a natural part of life. I'm sure you'll be prepared when Zack and Cody reach that point in their lives. The thing that bothers me is that I'm in an awkward position regarding London. More often than not, I've had to play the role of father to her...but I'm not her father. I'm her father's employee. It's not my place to tell her...certain things that I'd very much like to tell her."

"Like what?"

Moseby paused a good while before speaking. "This is strictly between you and me, Carey. You know I've been very focused on my work here at the Tipton. I've been the stereotypical career man, married to my job. As I get older, it becomes less and less likely that I'll find the right woman and start a family. So London is the closest I'll ever have to a child of my own. I'd like to tell her that. I'd like to tell her that she's a wonderful young woman who could do more in life than simply spending her fortune on frivolities. I'd hate to see her squander her potential, because I feel she's capable of doing so much."

London tried very hard not to show any emotion as Moseby spoke, but it was hard. She'd never known that Moseby thought these things about her.

"But most importantly," he continued. "I'd like to tell her how proud I am of her for managing to grow into a good and caring person despite the pampered lifestyle that she leads." He looked down at the top of his desk and smiled wistfully. "And I'd like to tell her that I love her. As much as I would if she were my own daughter."

Both Moseby and London were silent for a bit after that. Fortunately, the hotel manager continued to look at his desk, so London was able to wipe away the tears falling from her eyes without him noticing.

"Of course, I can't tell her any of that," Moseby finally said. "It's not my place to do so. And besides, London would probably just be embarrassed by my sentimentality."

"I...don't think she would be," London managed to say in a soft voice.

"Well, nonetheless," he said. "Don't repeat any of what I've told you. And thank you for letting me ramble on. I think I needed to express these feelings to someone." He stood up and walked around his desk. "I should be getting back to work. I won't keep you any longer."

London got up quietly and exited the office. She wanted very much to respond to what Moseby had told her, but she couldn't. Not when she had to continue her masquerade as Carey. Besides, at the moment she didn't know where to begin in her response.

But she would figure out a response. She promised herself that.

* * *

To be continued...

__

__

**author's note:**

Please review and comment. 


	5. Chapter 5

Carey had returned to her suite but found herself stuck outside the door. She didn't have her room key, as she and London taken each other's purses. Digging through London's purse she found the young woman's cell phone and was about to try calling her when the elevator door opened and the heiress appeared.

"Thank goodness," Carey said. "London, I need my purse."

"I know," the heiress answered in a subdued tone. "I came back because I needed mine."

"Is something wrong?" Carey asked as she retrieved her purse and used her room key to let them both inside.

"No," London answered. She was still thinking about the conversation she'd just had with Mr. Moseby. "I've just got some things on my mind. Stuff I'm going to have to figure out once we're back in our own bodies."

The two women got extra room keys to each of their suites and gave them to each other. That way both of them would be able to come and go freely from either suite.

"I'm going back to shopping," London before turning to leave.

"Wait," said Carey. But the heiress was already out the door.

_I'll just have to wait for her up in her penthouse,_ Carey thought. She sat down at the kitchen table and wrote a quick note to Zack and Cody. It said that she was going to be busy and to order room service when they needed dinner. She also said that if they needed her she would be in London's penthouse later.

_I just hope they don't need me,_ she thought_. __Not before London and I can get back in our own bodies. _

Carey was about to leave when the door opened and Zack and Cody came in. The boys seemed to be arguing about something and didn't notice her at first.

"And I'm telling you that I can do a quadruple spin off the new ramp at the skate park," Zack said. "I just need to practice and get a feel for it."

"You can practice all you want," Cody replied. "The laws of physics say that you can't do a quadruple spin off that ramp. There isn't enough room to build the proper speed."

"Skateboarding has nothing to do with physics," Zack protested. "Stop trying to nerd everything up."

Cody was about to argue back when he saw that he and his brother weren't alone.

"London," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey London," Zack added as he noticed her as well.

"Uh, hi," Carey said. "I was just going. I'd stopped by to see you Mom, but she's not here."

"How'd you get in the suite?" Cody asked.

Carey thought quickly. "I had a maid let me in. Just to see if your Mom was asleep or in the shower or something." She pointed at the table. "There's a note there for you."

Zack grabbed the note and he and Cody read it.

"Hey, we get room service," Zack said happily.

"Mom says she's going to be in your penthouse later. How come?" Cody asked.

"Um...I'm helping your Mom pick out some new outfits for her act," Carey said. "She thought it was time to make some changes. And you know me...I love helping people with fashion."

"That's nice of you to help," Cody commented.

"Yeah nice," Zack added, though he was barely paying attention. He was too busy trying to decide what to order from room service first.

"I'll be going now," Carey said. "You both be good."

"Wait," Cody told her. "When do you want to get together and make plans for the next web show?"

_He would ask about that,_ Carey thought_. But I need to talk to London first._

"We could start on it now if you like," Cody continued.

"Don't you have homework you need to do first?" she asked.

"Not today. I finished all my work in class."

"Well, I can't right now."

Cody seemed slightly disappointed. "Later tonight then?"

"That's not going to work for me. I'll call you about it tomorrow."

Cody was clearly disappointed now. "Alright," he said before walking somewhat dejectedly to his bedroom.

Zack, having witnessed the whole exchange, took a break from thinking about room service and approached Carey.

"London, I don't know what your plans are, but if you have time to work on your show with Cody today...it would be good for him."

"What do you mean?" Carey asked. She was puzzled at why Cody was so disappointed.

"You probably haven't noticed, but Cody's been trying to keep busy lately. It keeps him from being down about Barbara."

_Oh, why didn't I think of that? _Carey thought to herself.

Six weeks ago, Cody's girlfriend Barbara had moved to California when her father got a new job in Los Angeles. While the young couple had hoped at first to continue their relationship with letters and phone calls, it had become obvious fairly quickly that it wasn't going to work out. Cody had taken it pretty hard, and had been throwing himself into his schoolwork and his job as London's web show producer to keep himself distracted.

"So, could you make some time for him today?" Zack asked.

Carey was torn. She didn't know anything about London's web show and needed to ask the heiress about it. But her maternal instincts wouldn't let her abandon her son when he was depressed.

"I'll do that," she said. "I'll make some time for him right now." She smiled at Zack. "It's nice that you worry about your brother."

Zack just shrugged as the praise. "What can I say? I'm a great guy." With that, he went back to planning his room service order.

Carey let out a quiet laugh at her food-obsessed son and then went to the bedroom to talk to Cody.

* * *

To be continued...

_**author's note:**_ _Please comment._


	6. Chapter 6

Carey found herself very pleased about how her conversation with Cody had gone. The talk had lightened Cody's mood, which was what Carey cared about the most, but there were additional benefits as well. Carey knew little of London's web show and had been having serious doubts of how she would be able to host the next episode...but that was before she understood exactly what her son did as the show's producer.

_He practically runs the show,_ Carey thought as she headed up to London's suite. _He has each show segment scheduled already...all I'll have to do is follow these notes and act like London. _

And while Carey found that idea of that last task challenging, she figured she could do a passable job of it, especially after she and London had a chance to sit down and talk.

_I'll get some pointers from her for her show, and then I can show her how to do my lounge act,_ Carey thought_. __I just hope she gets back soon._

* * *

It was reasonable for Carey to worry about when London would return, for it was a well-known fact that the teenaged Tipton could spend a lot of time shopping.

As it happened though, London was finding her current shopping trip quite different from her normal experience. Usually salespeople ran up to London as soon as she stepped through the door, but now that she was in Carey's body she received no greetings. Instead of fawning all over her, the salespeople looked at her with a hint of contempt. London eventually realized it was because of the way she was dressed. People wearing jeans and a tee-shirt usually didn't enter the kinds of fancy boutiques that London shopped in.

_Wow, it's not fun to shop when you're poor_, London thought. _It's a good thing I'm not poor then_.

With that thought, London reached into her purse and casually pulled out a stack of hundred dollar bills.

"Hello," she called out as she waved the handful of money in the air. "Customer in need of service here!"

Instantly, the formally snide salespeople were at London's side, practically falling over themselves in trying to help her.

_This is more like it_, she thought. _Thank goodness for my ATM card._

After trying on dozens of outfits, London had assembled what she felt was an acceptable wardrobe for Carey. She also had gained a great deal of respect for the older woman. London had chosen outfits with the idea that she needed to enhance Carey's looks. In this she had succeeded, but in the process she'd come to understand that Carey's looks didn't really need enhancing...they just needed to be unleashed.

_Carey is beautiful,_ London thought as she studied the reflection in the mirror. _Seriously beautiful. I hope I look this good in twenty years_.

London decided that she was going to let Carey keep all the new outfits she'd just bought after they got their bodies switched back. And she was going to give her some make-up tips.

_There's no reason for her not to show off how gorgeous she is,_ London thought of Carey. _She's got a great face. And figure. And her hair is nice too_.

That last thought gave the heiress an idea.

_Oooh...If I hurry maybe I can stop by the salon before going home._

* * *

As it happened, London did have time to stop by her favorite salon. And after she flashed some more cash around, she found herself in the chair of one of her favorite stylists, Jean-Pierre.

"So you say you are a friend of the famous London Tipton?" the stylist asked, in an faux French accent that was as thick as molasses.

"Yes," London answered. "And she said you're the best."

"Oh, that is kind of her. But it is also true." Jean-Pierre smiled. "Now, what would you like done?"

"I think I need a hairstyle that's a little more...exciting," London answered. "What would you suggest?"

"Ah...the hot new look in hair is short and sleek," the stylist replied. "You would like to go short, no?"

London hesitated a moment. It probably wasn't a good idea to have Carey's hair cut too short without asking her first. But then again, Jean-Pierre had always done great work for her in the past. And while Carey's hair was currently shoulder length, she used to wear it very, very short.

_So she shouldn't mind if I get it cut a little_, London thought.

"Yes, let's go short."

Jean-Pierre smiled. "Wonderful! Now tell me, what is the shortest you've ever had your hair?"

London held her hand up to just above her shoulders, which was the shortest she'd ever worn her own hair. But then she thought that since she was in Carey's body she should give an answer based on Carey's past hairstyles.

"Um...really short. Short and spiky."

Jean-Pierre nodded his head in appreciation. "Ah...you are a daring woman. Very good."

London started to relax back into the chair, not noticing that the stylist had put down his comb and scissors and had picked up something else. A moment later, she heard a humming sound and felt a warm and slightly ticklish sensation running up the back of her head.

"What's that?" she asked.

"The clippers, my dear. We are going to take you back to a short and daring style. Only perhaps a little shorter."

"Clippers?" London said nervously. "Shorter?" But before she could say anything else, Jean-Pierre moved the clippers the front of London's forehead and plowed them back through the center of her hair.

Looking at the reflection in the mirror in front of her, the heiress was too shocked to protest or even move. She could only gaze, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, as all of her hair...no, all of Carey's hair...was shaved down to a quarter of an inch buzzcut.

_She's going to kill me!_

* * *

To be continued...

_**author's note:** Please comment._

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

After Jean-Pierre was finished with her hair, it took London a few moments to find her voice.

But when she did find it...she used it.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

The exchange of words that followed between London and the stylist drew the attention of most everyone in the salon. But Jean-Pierre, to his credit, remained polite and professional while attempting to calm his obviously upset (and very loud) client.

"I did not think you would object. You said you've had very short hair before."

"Not this short!" London protested.

"But you have the perfect face for it," the stylist insisted. "I think you are too shocked at the sudden change to look at the style objectively. Try this...look in the mirror and pretend you are looking at someone else. Another person entirely. How does she look?"

Jean-Pierre had no idea how easy this would be for London, since she was currently in the body of someone else. While the heiress was still worried about what Carey would think, she did take a moment to study her reflection.

"It...it does look...good," London slowly admitted. A slight smile came to her face. "It really does."

"Of course it does," Jean-Pierre replied. "You have the perfect face for this look."

London found herself agreeing. And it wasn't as if extremely short hair was without precedent. In her frequent visits to fashion shows, London had seen a few professional models that had shaved their heads completely bald, and they had all looked great. But it was one thing to have such a radical look on a runway, quite another to have the same look out in the everyday world. Would people accept it?

Most importantly, would Carey accept it?

* * *

On the trip back to the Tipton, London's worries started to lessen. She was getting lots of stares from most everyone who passed her on the street. At first she was worried that they were all staring in shock at her hair, but from reading the expressions on everyone's faces, she saw that wasn't the case.

They were staring at her because she looked spectacular.

Carey's natural beauty, some expertly applied make-up, and one of the expensive designer outfits that London had purchased was proving to be a winning combination.

But when London arrived back at the Tipton, she quickly found that strangers on the street weren't the only ones impressed by her appearance.

* * *

Esteban was in the hotel lobby looking to see if there was any work for him to do. Since nothing seemed to be happening at the moment he started towards the hotel candy counter to strike up a conversation with his friend Maddie. But before he reached his destination, a woman carrying a lot of shopping bags came through the Tipton's front doors. The bell boy couldn't help but notice how beautiful the woman was, and was more than happy to step forward and help her with her bags.

_I wonder if she is a celebrity? _he thought as he moved towards her. But as he started to offer his assistance to the stunning woman he took a good look at her face and then did a double take.

"Dios Mios! Carey!"

London almost dropped one of her bags, startled by Esteban's exclamation. "Geez, you don't have to yell," she said.

"Forgive me," the still surprised bell boy replied. "I just...did not recognize you at first."

Maddie, who had heard the commotion, left her post at the candy counter to approach her friends.

"Carey? Wow!" she said as she stared at the glamorous woman in front of her.

"What do you guys think of my new look?" London asked.

Both Maddie and Esteban had nothing but praise for the bold new look, although it was Maddie who did most of the talking. Esteban mostly just gazed at 'Carey'. London recognized the look in his eyes.

"Esteban!" she said in a surprised tone. "You're checking me out!"

The bell boy blushed as both London and Maddie looked at him. "No...no, I am not!"

"You are totally checking me out," London repeated, a smile coming to her face. "Well, at least I know this new look is working for me."

"Esteban," Maddie said with mock indignation. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

The bell boy tried to sputter out an apology, but London laughed and let him off the hook.

"It's okay," the heiress said. "I take it as a compliment."

"You do look very beautiful," he answered, still embarrassed. "May I carry your bags for you?"

"No, I'm fine," London answered. "See you both later."

After London had stepped into the elevator. Maddie turned to Esteban.

"She looks amazing," Maddie said.

"Yes, she certainly does," the bell boy agreed.

Maddie noticed there was still a somewhat awestruck look in her friend's eyes. "Oh, you've got it bad, don't you?"

"What are you talking about?"

The candy counter girl flashed a devilish smile and began to sing.

"Esteban and Carey, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G..."

"You stop that," the bell boy warned.

Maddie refused to stop her teasing however, not until after Esteban had chased her around the lobby twice and then back to the candy counter.

* * *

Despite feeling good about how well-received her new look had been so far, London was still nervous about what Carey's reaction would be. As she approached the door to her suite, the heiress wondered if Carey would be waiting inside. They had planned to meet there after all, but it was possible that Carey was still down in her own room, or was off on some errand or other.

"Carey?" London called out as she entered her suite. "Are you here?"

"I'm here," the answer came echoing from London's bedroom. "I'll be right there."

Putting down her shopping bags, London prepared for her moment of truth. She decided to try and appear confident and hope that Carey would react positively.

"I was worried you were never going to get back," Carey said as she entered the room. "We have a lot we need to go over." She was going to say more, but her words died in her throat when she saw London.

The uncomfortable silence stretched on for what seemed like an eternity to London. Carey was just staring at her with a dumbfounded expression. Not knowing what else to do, the heiress finally asked a simple question.

"What do you think?"

Carey's response was very direct.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY HAIR?"

* * *

To be continued...

_**author's note:** Please comment. Also, since many characters at the Tipton are now going to be viewing 'Carey' as a major hottie, I want to hear what readers think about different possible suitors for her._


	8. Chapter 8

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY HAIR?"

Carey's question was ringing in London's ears. The heiress was on the verge of panic. She began blurting out an explanation...but she was talking so fast that it was nearly impossible to understand her.

"London," Carey tried to interrupt, but the agitated girl kept talking. "LONDON!"

The loud shout finally stopped London's yammering. The young woman gulped and prepared herself for the angry outburst she expected to be unleashed upon her.

Carey took a moment before speaking. She stared once again at London, and then her shocked expression slowly gave way to a wide smile.

"I LOVE IT!"

London could scarcely believe her ears. "Y-you do?"

Carey stepped toward her with a mixture delight and awe on her face. "It's fantastic." She reached up to London's head and ran her fingers over her scalp. The sensation was a little ticklish, and the heiress smiled as she let out a sigh of relief.

"I'd been thinking of going short again," Carey explained. "I wouldn't have had the nerve to go this short. But now that I see what it looks like...wow!"

London then explained, slowly and more calmly, how the haircut had been an accident, albeit an accident with a happy outcome.

"I'm so glad you like it," London said. "I just wanted to do something nice for you."

"It's fantastic," Carey replied. "Everything...the hair, the make-up, the clothes...I've never looked so good."

"Wait until you see the other outfits I bought for you. You'll love them too."

Eyeing the many shopping bags London had carried in, Carey pointed out that there was no way she'd need that many changes of clothes before she and London got their minds switched back into their own bodies.

"That doesn't matter," the heiress responded. "These are all for you to keep."

Carey's eyes became as big as saucers when London starting pulling out the fabulous (and very expensive) outfits from her shopping bags.

"I don't know what to say," the older woman finally said. "You didn't have to do all this for me."

"Don't worry about it," London replied. "You know I love shopping. It was a lot of fun for me to get you a whole new wardrobe."

"Well, just get used to hearing me say 'thank you' a lot," Carey said as she gave London a hug.

With the two women now in very good moods, they sat down and began to discuss the work they needed to do for Carey's lounge act and London's web show. London was pleased to discover that Carey felt confident about being able to handle the web show.

"Cody went over most of the details with me while you were out," she told London.

"Super," London replied. "Cody's really great. He always makes sure the show runs smoothly...and that I look good. That's the most important part."

Carey smiled at that comment. "The only thing I need is some tips about how to act around your friends, Portia and Chelsea."

"Okay, let me think how to describe them. They're sort of like me, except not as rich or as pretty. Also, Chelsea is a little...well, she's not that bright."

"Really?" Carey said in a neutral voice. While she liked London, the young Tipton was not exactly known as a great thinker. For her to describe someone else as being dull-witted seemed pretty significant.

"Yeah, Chelsea's no rocket surgeon," London said.

"I think you mean rocket scientist," Carey corrected. "Or brain surgeon."

"She's not any of those things," the heiress answered. "But she's a nice person.

"Well, that's good. And Portia?"

London's smile faded a bit. "Smarter than Chelsea. Not as nice. Watch out for her. She'll try to make herself look good and you look bad."

Carey nodded. "I think I know the type of girl you mean."

After a little more talk about London's friends, the topic turned to Carey's lounge act. London had many suggestions for the songs she wanted to sing, and they were certainly different from the selections that Carey usually performed. Fortunately though, none of the songs were inappropriate for a lounge act. So it seemed that this weekend, Tipton guests would be treated to songs by Rihanna, Gwen Stefani, Fergie, Hannah Montana and Mikayla. (Carey nixed a couple of Kelly Clarkson songs that London had suggested, as she knew that they'd be too hard for an inexperienced singer to belt out without becoming short of breath.)

As they practiced the songs, Carey was relieved to see that London could not only remember the lyrics, she could actually knock each number out of the park. It seemed that the young woman's bubbly personality made her a natural performer. All she had been lacking in the past was a good singing voice, but now she had one...Carey's.

"I'm not going to lie," Carey said. "I was worried about my job before. But you're going to be great."

"Yay me!" London exclaimed as she clapped her hands together excitedly.

"That is so weird," Carey commented. "Watching you do that in my body."

"It's just something I do. You know, you should do it while you're in my body. People will expect it."

Carey shrugged her shoulders and gave it a try. "Yay me."

"Show more enthusiasm."

"Yay me!" Carey repeated as she clapped her hands faster.

"Hmm...that's close enough, I guess," London concluded.

Before the two women could talk further, Carey's cell phone rang.

"Hello," she answered.

"London?" Cody's voice said over the phone. "Is that you? Why are you answering Mom's phone?"

"Oh, um...your Mom's in the bathroom," Carey answered, thinking fast. "She left her phone in here with me, so I picked it up. I can give her a message."

"Alright," he replied. "It was just late and I was wondering if she was still up in your suite."

Looking at the nearest clock, Carey realized that she'd lost track of time while helping London with her singing practice. It was her boys' bedtime.

"Um...she'll be down to say goodnight in a minute. So you and Zack get ready for bed. It's a school night."

"I know that," Cody said, wondering why London sounded so parental. "That's why I was wondering if she was still up there with you. Don't you have to be getting to bed soon?"

_Oh no! _Carey thought. With so many other things on her mind, she'd forgotten the fact that London, in addition to being an heiress and a minor celebrity, was also a high school student.

"Um...I'm going to skip school and have a three day weekend," Carey said. "Which is a very bad thing to do. So you and your brother should never think about doing it."

"Uh...right," Cody replied. "Is something wrong London? You sound a little strange."

"No, I'm fine," Carey insisted. She cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder so that both hands were free. "Listen...Yay me!" She clapped her hands rapidly. "See? I'm my typical self."

"If you say so," Cody answered. "I'm going to get ready for bed. Good night."

After Cody hung up, Carey turned to London.

"You're going to have to go downstairs and say goodnight to the boys," she told the heiress. "Just make sure they're tucked in and give them a kiss goodnight on their foreheads." She paused. "And when they complain that they're too old to be tucked in by their mother, tell them that it doesn't matter how old they are, they're always going to be my boys. That will seem like a normal night to them."

London nodded. "I can do that."

* * *

When London arrived in the Martin's suite, she found both Zack and Cody already in bed, but with the lights still on. Both boys were surprised by the new look she was sporting, but they did approve of the change. Zack did make a few GI Jane jokes though, and Cody said she'd make a good Joan of Arc. London didn't understand the latter comment, but pretended that she did and laughed.

When she kissed Zack goodnight, he said he was too old to be tucked in by his mother, just like Carey had predicted. London responded as she'd been instructed to. Then she went over to Cody. Unlike his brother, he did not complain when his forehead was kissed.

"Hey, Mom," he whispered so that his twin couldn't overhear. "All kidding aside, you look really beautiful. But I think you always do."

_Oh, he is so sweet,_ London thought. Impulsively, she bent down and gave him another kiss, this one on the cheek.

Turning off the lights, London quietly left the room to let the boys go to sleep. Then she returned to her penthouse and the waiting Carey.

* * *

To be continued...

_**author's note:** Please comment._


	9. Chapter 9

After London reported to Carey that Zack and Cody had gone to bed, the two women discussed their plans for the next day. Carey wanted to stick close to London and check to see that everything would be ready in the lounge before London's first performance. But London had some concerns about that.

"If Moseby sees you tomorrow during the day, he'll know you skipped school. Or that I skipped school. Oh, you know what I mean."

"But you skip school a lot. He's probably used to it." Carey's words came out a bit more glib than she intended.

London frowned. "I know. I want that to change."

Seeing that the heiress was upset, Carey asked her what was wrong. London then shared the details of the conversation she'd had with Mr. Moseby earlier in the day.

"And now that I realize how much he cares about me, I want to make him proud," London explained.

Carey put her hand on London's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "He's already proud of you. But I do think it's a good idea to take your education more seriously. I'm sure you'll do better in school if you try."

"I don't know if I can though," London admitted. "I've just never been good at school."

"Don't be negative before you even try," Carey said in a supportive tone. "You might surprise yourself. And I'm sure you can get a good tutor."

An idea started to form in London's head. "Maybe I can ask Cody for help. He loves school."

"Yes, he does," Carey agreed. "But you have asked him for help with your school work in the past, and--"

"I know," London interrupted. "I've wanted him to just do the work for me. But this time it's different. I want to do it the right way."

"Then I'm sure Cody would be happy to help," Carey said with a smile. "As for tomorrow, I'll try to keep out of Mr. Moseby's sight until after school is over. But I do need to go with you to the lounge sometime in the morning. You're going to be singing different songs than I usually do, and we need to make sure the right music is there and ready before your first show."

* * *

As it happened, Carey and London were able to get down to the lounge the next morning without running into Mr. Moseby. After making sure all the proper preparations were made, they snuck back upstairs. Carey decided to review old episodes of the_ Yay Me! _web program, so that she'd be prepared to host the new episode that evening. London didn't want to spend the whole day in her suite, so she decided to go down and lounge by the Tipton's pool. The two women agreed to meet down in the lobby that afternoon after school was done for the day.

* * *

When Carey made her way down to the lobby that afternoon, she quickly found London...but she wasn't alone. Chef Paolo was with her, and offering her a plate of a very tasty looking dessert.

"What's that?" Carey asked as she joined the two.

"Ah, hello London," the chef replied. "This is my newest creation, a dessert that I shall name after the Tipton's own singing sensation. I've tried to make it as delicious as Carey is beautiful."

Carey's eyes widened as she heard the chef's words and observed the way he was acting. He was fawning over 'Carey' the way that Arwin usually did.

"That's really nice of you," London said to the chef. "But I need to get going now." She pointed towards Carey. "The two of us have some things to do."

"But of course," Paolo said, his adoring gaze never leaving London. "Please drop by the kitchen later. I will make up another special dish, just for you."

"Oh...my...God," Carey said after the chef had departed. "He's--"

"Got a huge crush on you," London said. "And he's not the only one. The 'new Carey' is super popular now."

"Really?"

"You wouldn't believe how many guys have approached me today," London went on. "Chef Paolo, Patrick, Norman the doorman--"

"Norman?" Carey interjected. "But he's married!"

"Oh, he wasn't doing anything wrong," the heiress explained. "He just gave me a lot of compliments, and said he wished he was younger and single."

"He said all that? He's usually so quiet."

"Well, he's been pretty talkative to me today," London explained. "It's Esteban who's been quiet."

Carey gave her a questioning look.

"I've run into him a couple of times today, and he keeps getting nervous and tongue-tied." London giggled. "It's really adorable."

Carey shook her head. "I don't believe this."

"Believe it. Everyone's been like this. Even Moseby seems to be smiling at me a lot...but I've sort of been trying to avoid him. It would feel weird if he started flirting with me. I know it would be because he'd think I was you, but--"

"I understand," Carey said, cutting the heiress off. "It would feel like a family member was coming on to you."

"Exactly."

"Arwin hasn't seen you, has he?" Carey asked.

"No, I've been avoiding him too. Even though he knows that our minds are switched, I thought I should play it safe. He's so attracted to you in the first place, seeing this new look might make his brain explode or something."

"Good thinking," Carey laughed. "You know, when we switch back, I don't know if I'll be able to handle every man in the Tipton being crazy about me."

"I think I should tell you...it's not just the men."

Before Carey could ask the heiress to clarify that comment, a voice sounded behind her.

"Hey, glad I bumped into you again before I went home," the voice said.

Carey turned to see an Asian woman that she didn't recognize at first. Then she realized it was Grace, one of the Tipton's maids. She was dressed in casual clothes instead of her maid's uniform, but it was her expression that made the biggest difference in her appearance. Normally, Grace's face was stoic and devoid of expression, but now she was smiling warmly at London and had a definite sparkle in her eyes.

"I wanted to tell you that I've got two tickets to the Indigo Girls concert next week," Grace told London, all but ignoring Carey. "They're front row seats. I thought it would be great if you could go. We could have a fun night out...just us girls"

"I'm going to have to get back to you on that," London said. "Check with me on Monday."

"Okay, I'll do that. See you later." Grace flashed London another smile before leaving.

"Oh...my...God," Carey said. "I had no idea Grace was..." She paused and then smacked London lightly on the arm.

"What was that for?" the heiress asked.

"You told her to check back with me on Monday."

"Well, what was I supposed to tell her? I didn't want to hurt her feelings." London paused and then grinned at Carey. "Besides, I didn't want to speak for you and cut out some of your options."

"Oh, you're funny," Carey replied.

"Hey, she was offering concert tickets. Front row. So you know she's not cheap."

Carey rolled her eyes, but then shot a grin back at London. "You better be careful with the people who ask me out while you're in my body. Because don't forget, I'm the one in your body's driver's seat...and I'm sure there are a lot of people that would jump at the chance to go out with London Tipton. All sorts of people."

The heiress gasped. "You're so mean!"

Carey and London then proceeded to make numerous, humorous threats to one another. Promising to make dates with all kinds interesting characters while they were in each other's bodies. Their impromptu game ended when they were both laughing so much that neither could speak to make a new threat. And it was while they were sitting in the lobby laughing that Cody and two young women approached them.

"Mom? London? What's so funny?" he asked.

"Nothing," Carey managed to answer, still laughing a bit. "Just a private joke. Don't worry about it." She didn't notice that London had stopped laughing altogether.

"Carey," the heiress whispered as she leaned close so that nobody else could hear. "That's Portia and Chelsea."

Regaining her composure quickly, Carey greeted the two girls. Then she looked at her watch. It was later than she realized. It was time for London to go to the lounge and get ready for the night's first performance.

And it was time to go upstairs and begin the newest episode of _Yay Me!_

* * *

To be continued...

_**author's note:** Please comment._


	10. Chapter 10

London looked through the new outfits that she'd earlier placed in Carey's dressing room. After deciding on which one to wear, she changed and touched up her make-up.

_I can't wait for the show to start_, she thought excitedly. _I wonder if Carey is as anxious about hosting my web show?_

* * *

_I can't wait for this show to start_, Carey thought as she sat on London's couch. _Because the sooner it starts the sooner it will be over...and I can get these girls out of here!_

Since coming upstairs, Carey had been engaging in small talk with Portia and Chelsea while Cody got everything prepared for the webcast. Unfortunately, she wasn't enjoying the conversation at all. The task of pretending to be London kept Carey on edge and unable to relax. And the two rich girls keeping her company were not impressing her as good companions.

To be fair, Chelsea did seem like a sweet girl, but she really was clueless about...well, practically everything. And Portia struck Carey as somewhat snobbish and mean-spirited.

_And to think, I have to spend the whole show talking with these two,_ Carey mused ruefully.

"Will we have to wait much longer?" Portia asked. "You know, if your producer isn't capable of setting up your show on time, you should get a new one."

"Cody is doing just fine," Carey replied, a bit snappish. She didn't like the implied insult to her son. "He's a great producer."

Portia's only reaction was a dismissive laugh. Carey was ready to make an angry response, but Chelsea spoke first.

"London's right. Cody is really good at his job. And it's not easy to do."

Carey smiled slightly at the girl's words. Her opinion of Chelsea rose considerably. But before anything else could be said, Cody approached them and announced that everything was ready to start.

* * *

Maddie's shift at the candy counter had ended, but she had decided to hang around the Tipton for the evening. The talk around the hotel was all about Carey's glamorous new look, and some people had heard she was going to be changing her lounge act. Maddie went and got a seat for the first show, curious to see what it would be like. She caught sight of Esteban, who was also done working for the day, and invited him to sit with her.

"Looking forward to seeing your dreamgirl?" Maddie asked in a teasing tone.

"I wish you would not make fun of me," he answered, sounding sad.

Seeing that her friend was down, Maddie changed her tone. "I was just kidding. Is something wrong?"

Esteban seemed conflicted about whether or not to say what was bothering him. Before Maddie could question him further, it was time for the show to start.

"Okay, let's sit back and enjoy the show," said Maddie. "But afterwards we're going to talk more. Agreed?" She flashed a comforting smile to her friend.

"Agreed," he replied.

* * *

In Carey's estimation, the web show was running smoothly. The topic of this episode - 'What's hot and what's not' - allowed Portia and Chelsea to talk endlessly about what they liked and didn't like in terms of fashion and entertainment. Carey found it easy to just let them blather on, chiming in only occasionally. She found some of the opinions that the girls expressed troubling, as their tastes seemed to be pretty shallow and superficial. But Carey reminded herself that they were just teenagers, and that she herself had been somewhat shallow at that age.

Seeing Cody signal that it was time to move on to the next subject, Carey got her two guests to stop discussing accessories and spoke.

"Alright, now it's time for something our audience really wants to know about," Carey said as she snuck a peek at the note cards Cody had written for her. "What's hot and what's not in...dating. Let's talk about hat kinds of guys are the best to go out with."

Both Portia and Chelsea immediately began to express their opinions.

* * *

Maddie and Esteban were both enjoying the lounge show immensely. The new song choices were great and there was a lot of youthful energy in the show. Maddie thought that the act seemed a little less polished than usual at times...but that was more than made up for by the infectious enthusiasm being displayed. The singer seemed to be having the time of her life on stage.

"She's really on fire," Maddie told Esteban. "I've never seen her like this before."

Esteban made no reply. Maddie took her eyes away from the stage and looked at her friend. He was staring at the singer with a lovestruck expression and it was obvious he hadn't heard a word Maddie had said.

_At least he doesn't seem sad anymore_, Maddie thought.

* * *

While Carey had let Portia and Chelsea dominate the conversation earlier in the show, she couldn't keep quiet after hearing some of their opinions on guys and dating. She tried to inject some good advice into the discussion, pointing out that good boyfriends needed to have more than just good looks going for them.

"I know that," Portia said. "They need money too."

"That's not what I mean," Carey replied. She then tried to bring up important qualities young women should look for in guys, but Portia dismissed Carey's words.

"God London," the arrogant girl finally said. "What does any of that matter? The most important things are looks, money and reputation."

"No, the important things are kindness, consideration, and respect," Carey responded. "Give me a guy who has all that...and throw in a sense of humor...and you'll have a much better date than the empty-headed pretty boys you're describing."

"Why not have a pretty boy who has all that kindness and respect stuff too?" Chelsea asked.

Carey had to smile at that. "Now that's that smartest thing you've said today."

"Ooh, thanks," Chelsea replied happily.

"Oh don't listen to her, Chelsea," Portia said with an annoyed tone. "From the way she's been talking, it's obvious she doesn't know the first thing about what kind of guys to date."

"I know a lot more than you do," Carey replied.

"Please, I'd hate to see your idea of a good date," Portia said disdainfully. "The guys you're describing sound like losers." She glanced over towards Cody. "Like your nerdy producer over there."

Cody frowned but said nothing, willing to let the insult pass.

Carey was not willing.

"You apologize to him this instant!" she told Portia firmly. Her motherly instincts had kicked into in overdrive, and she was not going to let anyone belittle her son.

"Why should I?"

Nervous at the intensity of the moment, Chelsea tried to diffuse the situation. "Um...why don't you just say you're sorry, Portia? Cody's not a bad guy."

"He's a nobody," the arrogant girl responded. "And I don't apologize to people who are beneath me."

Carey felt a powerful urge to slap Portia, but managed to restrain herself. At the same time, Cody decided to speak up.

"Ladies, we have a show to finish here," he said. "And I'm not the topic of the show. But for the record...London, thank you for defending me. You too, Chelsea. And Portia, I'm not a loser and I'm not beneath you. But I'm not going to ask for an apology, let's just get back to the show."

"I will get back to the show when I feel like getting back to the show," Portia said angrily. "And I will be the one who says whether or not you're a loser."

"He is NOT a loser!" Carey yelled.

Unwilling to back down, Portia got in Carey's face and yelled back. "He is a inconsequential little nobody! A nerd! A loser! A guy who probably couldn't get a date even if he used an escort service! And I don't see why you're defending him!"

"Please stop fighting!" Chelsea pleaded.

Seeing that things were completely out of hand, Cody took control of the webcam and turned it away from the girls.

"And that concludes today's program," he said quickly into the microphone. "Please join us again next time." He knew it was a lame way to end the episode, but he didn't see any other option at this point.

But while the show may have been over, the fighting was not. Insults hurled back and forth until Carey told Portia to leave. After she was gone, Carey politely asked Chelsea to leave as well. The girl did so, but only after telling Carey that she was sorry things had gone badly, and telling Cody that she didn't think he was a loser.

Carey decided that she definitely liked Chelsea.

When she was finally alone with Cody, Carey told him that she was sorry he'd been insulted.

"It's not your fault," he replied. "And thanks again for standing up for me. Even though it's true."

"What's true?" Carey asked.

Cody shrugged glumly and sighed. "I am a loser."

* * *

To be continued...

_**author's note:** Please comment._


	11. Chapter 11

Carey felt horrible when she heard Cody's words. She gently took him by the arm and led him over to the couch. Once they were both seated, she looked him straight in the eyes.

"Why would you ever think you're a loser?" she asked. "You're not. You can't believe anything someone like Portia says."

"I appreciate you saying that London. And Portia is an idiot. But some of the things she said...I'm afraid she has a point."

Cody proceeded to tell Carey about the many things that had been bothering him since his relationship with Barbara had ended. As he explained how he was feeling, Carey realized what was wrong. In the past, Cody had sometimes suffered from a lack of confidence in himself. He'd kept this problem in check pretty well in recent times, but his break-up with Barbara had caused old insecurities to return. Cody feared he'd never have a girlfriend again...so Portia's insult about him being a nobody who couldn't get a date had struck him hard.

"Oh Cody, you can't feel that way." Carey took his hands in hers as she sat facing him. "You are a wonderful young man that any girl would be happy to have for a boyfriend."

"Yeah, and that's why there are girls lining up around the block to date me," he replied sarcastically.

Carey could see that her son was very down on himself...and she was determined to change his thinking. She started telling him how he needed to believe in himself, making a point to stress all his good qualities. Cody tried to argue with her a bit at first, telling her that she was only saying such things about him because he was her friend.

And that was when Carey realized her current situation could be an advantage. Cody didn't realize he was talking to his mother, he thought he was talking to a friend. A mother's praise to her son could be accused of being overly biased, but a friend's compliments would not be dismissed quite as quickly. So Carey continued to tell Cody about how wonderful she thought he was. She went over all his good qualities in detail, with the complete sincerity that could only spring from a mother's love. Before too long, her words managed to break down Cody's wall of negative thoughts.

"London," he finally said, a note of surprise evident in his tone. "That's...some of the nicest...I don't know what to say. You really mean all that?"

Carey was delighted that she was getting through to her son. "Every word." She raised one hand and playfully tousled his hair. "You're a great guy. The only problem is you don't realize it. And that sometimes stops other people from realizing it."

Cody remained quiet as he reflected on all he'd just been told...and the person who'd told him. He'd always thought of London as a friend, and over the past few months he'd felt their friendship had grown closer than ever. But he still hadn't expected the kind of glowing praise she'd just given him. And he was also struck by how affectionate she was being towards him.

Carey wanted to make sure Cody stayed in a positive mood, so she thought she should spend some more time with him.

"Hey, I'm going down to the lounge later to see your Mom's second show," she said. "Want to come with me? It's an all new act."

"Uh...sure." Cody looked at his watch. "I have a few things to do first, so why don't I meet you back here in a half hour?"

"Great. See you then."

After Cody left, Carey lay back on London's couch and took a moment to relax. She was pleased that she'd cheered her son, and was looking forward to seeing how London was doing down in the lounge, but she had some concerns as well.

_London's probably not going to like how the web show turned out,_" Carey thought. _But it couldn't be helped. That Portia girl...arrgh! I don't know how I kept from hitting her._

And though thoughts of the web show debacle were not pleasant, at least it was over and done with. Now Carey felt there'd be no more problems to worry about for the rest of the weekend.

* * *

Zack was watching television in the living room when his brother entered the suite.

"Hey Cody," he called out in greeting.

The younger twin did not answer immediately. Instead he walked over and took a seat by his brother.

"Zack, I need your opinion on something."

"What's on your mind?"

"Well, there's this friend of mine...a girl--"

"Is she hot?" Zack interrupted.

"You didn't let me finish," Cody complained.

"I just want to know if she's hot."

Knowing his brother's one track mind, Cody sighed and answered the question. "Yes, she's hot. Very hot."

"So far I'm interested. Do I know her?"

"Zack, will you let me finish?"

"Okay, chill out. I won't interrupt anymore."

Zack then listened as his twin told him what was on his mind. Cody never identified who the girl in question was, but he explained the situation.

"So let me get this straight," Zack said when his brother was finished. "You and this chick have been friends for awhile but now you think she may be sending you some signals?"

"Yeah. And I'm not sure what to do."

"It's not hard to figure out. Just go for it."

Cody was unimpressed with the suggestion. "What kind of advice is that?"

"It's perfect advice," Zack insisted. "If she's into you, she'll respond. And if not, you just apologize and say you thought she was giving you signals. It'll be a little embarrassing...but if she's as good a friend as you say, she'll forgive you."

Cody was still unconvinced.

"Oh come one," Zack said, trying to encourage his brother. "What's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

Carey was looking through London's outfits to see which one she wanted to wear down to the lounge. There was nothing wrong with the clothes she already had on, but London was known for changing outfits frequently and Carey figured she might as well do the same to keep up appearances. But before she could make a choice, the doorbell rang. Carey went to answer it and found Cody.

"Hey," she said with a smile as she ushered Cody into the suite. "Little early aren't you?"

"Yes I am. I...wanted to ask you something."

"Fire away."

"All the nice things you said about me before," Cody said hesitantly. "You said you meant all of it."

"Absolutely," Carey responded quickly.

"Including the part about...any girl being happy to have me as their boyfriend?"

"Yes. Any girl with good taste and good sense."

"Any girl?" he asked once more.

"You betcha," Carey replied. "You're a real catch. You just need to be more confident. Women like confidence."

"So I should be confident?" Cody took a deep breath. "Confident...and bold?"

"Yes," Carey said in a supportive tone. "That's exactly how you should be."

With so much encouragement ringing in his ears, Cody made a decision. He was going to be confident. He was going to be bold. He was going to seize the moment. A certain Latin phrase came to mind that seemed appropriate.

"Carpe diem," he said, as he took hold of the young woman standing before him.

Took hold of her...and kissed her.

* * *

To be continued...

_**author's note:** Please comment. Oh, and in case anyone doesn't know - 'Carpe diem' means 'seize the day'.  
_


	12. Chapter 12

Everyone has certain moments in life that they will look back upon and wish had happened differently.

Carey Martin was currently in such a moment.

If only she had realized that Cody would mistake her affection and support as romantic interest.

If only she hadn't been caught so unprepared by his kiss and become momentarily paralyzed, unable to push him back.

If only Cody hadn't misinterpreted her lack of resistance as a sign of acceptance, and deepened the kiss.

If only it hadn't been such a good kiss.

And that was the worst part. It was a **_good_ **kiss. A sweet yet passionate kiss, full of longing and desire. It was the kind of kiss that would make just about any teenage girl weak in the knees.

The kind of kiss a mother should never receive from her son.

Unfortunately, while Carey's mind was fully aware that what was happening was wrong, the teenaged body she was currently inhabiting had no choice but to respond to the physical stimulus it was receiving. Carey felt herself tingling all over. Her body...no, London's body...was becoming aroused.

It was no wonder she freaked out.

"NO!" she yelled, as she broke out of her stunned paralysis. She pushed Cody away from her with all her might, using much more force than she meant to, and continued yelling even as Cody fell backwards onto the floor.

"CODY MARTIN! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

Cody looked up at the face of the girl he thought was London and felt utterly crushed. She appeared to be in a state of near panic, and there was a look of disgust and revulsion in her eyes. Naturally, Cody assumed these feelings were directed at him.

_Oh God_, he thought. _She hates me!_

"I-I'm s-sorry," he managed to blurt out as he quickly got back to his feet. "I...I..." He couldn't bring himself to say anything else. He was too distraught to speak. All he could do was turn and run from London's suite. He wanted nothing more at that moment but to hide away from the entire world.

And Carey...still breathing hard and trying to get her own emotions under control...was in no position to stop him. It took her a full two minutes to compose herself and calm down. Then she was left with the realization that she'd may have just seriously traumatized her son.

"Cody!" she called out as she ran out into the hall. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be seen. His head start was too great. Carey went to the elevator and pressed the button for her floor, hoping Cody had run back to his room. The elevator seemed to be excruciatingly slow to her.

_How could I have been so stupid?_ she thought. The look on Cody's face before he'd run out had been heartbreaking. Carey knew he hadn't done anything wrong. Her disgust and revulsion had been directed at herself. She'd been ashamed of the reaction she'd had in response to his kiss, though in truth she hadn't done anything wrong either. It wasn't her body that had reacted to Cody's kiss, it was London's...Carey's mind had simply been along for the ride. But that fact was of no comfort to Carey now. All she wanted was to find Cody and make everything right.

She just wished she knew how she was going to do that.

* * *

Downstairs in the lobby, Maddie and Esteban had sat down in a quiet corner to talk. At first they had chatted about how much they had enjoyed the new lounge act. Esteban was even considering waiting around and going to the second show of the evening and asked Maddie if she'd like to as well.

"Maybe," the blonde answered. "I'd have to call home and tell my parents I'm going to be late. But I can decide about that later. Now, let's talk about what's up with you."

"I do not know what you mean," Esteban said unconvincingly.

Maddie crossed her arms and gave him a look that indicated she wasn't going to be fooled by any denials. "Come on. Tell me what was bothering you earlier."

The bellboy seemed reluctant to speak, so Maddie pressed further.

"Does it have something to do with Carey?"

"Is it that obvious?" he replied with a sigh.

"It's obvious you're developing a big crush on her. But I don't see why that should make you sad."

"It didn't at first," he admitted. "But then I watched as many of the others here have approached her and tried to ask her out...and I wanted to do the same, but I could not."

"Why not?"

Esteban explained that he felt too intimidated to try and ask Carey out. He had a variety of reasons for feeling that way. The fact that he was a grown man and still working as a bellboy. The fact that Carey was older and more worldly than he. And the fact that he had always felt pressured to live up to certain cultural ideas from his home country. Due to his heritage and accent, Esteban had often found that American women he dated expected him to be very suave and debonair. They thought he should be the stereotypical 'Latin lover' - fiery, mysterious and maybe a little dangerous.

"And that is just not me," he concluded. "I am not that...macho."

Maddie shook her head. "You're being too hard on yourself. You're a sweet guy. You don't have to try and be something you're not."

"But I am just a bellboy."

"You're a bellboy...no, you're a bell-MAN...at the most prestigious hotel in Boston. There are tons of people who would kill for your job." She paused. "Remember how Mr. Moseby told us that he started working here as a bellboy? And look at him today."

Esteban cheered slightly at this. "You are right. This is a good job."

"And as for Carey being older, that's only about...what? A ten year difference between you two? You're both adults. If you were forty or so and she were thirty or so, nobody would think anything of it. Why should it matter that it's the other way around?"

"When you put it that way, it does not sound bad," Esteban said, feeling even more cheered. "But I still wish I had more going for me so that I could really impress her."

Maddie gave her friend an incredulous look. "You are part of the deposed royal family of your country. You grew up in abject poverty in a village in the shadow of a South American pyramid. You came here with absolutely nothing and yet you managed to learn English, get a job and become an American citizen." She paused to take a breath before continuing. "And somehow in addition to all that, you found the time to become a champion ballroom dancer. How many guys can you say all that about?"

Esteban considered her words. "I never thought of it that way. Am I really that impressive? Impressive enough that Carey might go out with me?"

"Heck, you're impressive enough that I think I want to go out with you now," Maddie said with a grin. "If I were a little older, I probably would."

"Oh Maddie, you are so nice."

"Seriously, Esteban. You've got no reason to feel intimidated by Carey. I don't know what she'll say if you ask her out, but whatever her answer is won't change the fact that you're a great guy. A great and a very handsome guy."

Esteban blushed slightly at the compliment. He could tell Maddie was being sincere.

"You were serious when you said you'd go out with me if you were a little older," he said. It was not a question.

Now it was Maddie's turn to blush. "Yeah, I was."

He smiled warmly at her. "If I were a little younger, I would definitely want to go out with you."

Maddie smiled back just as warmly. She was glad that they'd had this conversation.

"So, it is almost time for next lounge show," Esteban said. "Do you want stay and see it?"

Maddie decided that she did. And after calling home to tell her parents she'd be out late, the two friends went back to the lounge.

* * *

Carey did not find Cody back in his room...just Zack, who didn't know where his brother was. She asked Zack to help her look for him, but after they'd both looked everywhere in the hotel they could think of, they'd still found no sign of Cody. Carey became more and more worried. Zack couldn't help but notice.

"Look, what's going on?" he asked. "You didn't explain why you're looking for Cody...or why he's not around...and you seem upset."

"We had a...it was a misunderstanding," Carey said. "I upset Cody and I want to apologize."

Zack was still puzzled about what could have happened, but then he remembered what Cody had asked him about earlier.

"A misunderstanding?" he said. "Did Cody...did you and Cody...oh...no way!"

"What?"

"Cody told me before that he was wondering about this girl he knew. About whether she was interested in him. Was that you?"

Carey leaned back against the wall of the hallway. "It was a misunderstanding and it was all my fault. And now he's run off and I feel horrible."

Zack had never seen 'London' so upset before. He became more and more curious about what had happened between her and Cody, but also more concerned.

"Maybe we should go ask Mr. Moseby to have more people look through the hotel," he suggested. "Or maybe see if there's anything on the security cameras?"

"That's a good idea," Carey agreed. Then they both headed towards Moseby's office.

* * *

To be continued...

__

__

**author's note:** Please comment.


	13. Chapter 13

London took her bows as she ended the second and final lounge show of the night. If there was one thing she was going to miss once she and Carey got their bodies switched back, it was going to be this - the ability to go on stage and perform.

After going back to the dressing room and changing, London intended to go straight to the elevator and back up to her penthouse, but something caught her attention as she passed by a supply closet. The door was slightly ajar, and she thought she heard a voice from inside.

"Stupid...so stupid," the voice said.

"Hello?" London said as she cautiously opened the door. She saw Cody huddled in the corner, trying to hide in the shadows. Even in the darkness of the closet, it was easy to read the expression on his face.

"Cody, what's wrong?" She knelt next to her friend, very concerned.

"Mom...I really screwed up." His voice was shaky, and it was obvious he was trying not to cry.

"It can't be that bad." London tried to be comforting. "Tell me what happened."

"I was so stupid! Stupid stupid stupid!"

"Cody, you're the smartest person I know." She sat down next to him on the floor and put an arm over his shoulders. "Please tell me what's wrong?"

After closing his eyes and taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Cody slowly began to explain what happened, starting at the beginning.

* * *

Even after getting help from Mr. Moseby, Carey and Zack still hadn't found any sign of Cody. The security cameras in the Tipton only covered select, important areas...and Cody wasn't in any of those.

"What if he left the hotel?" Zack asked. "I should go look for him."

"No, not by yourself," Carey said. She didn't want either of her boys out alone late at night. The Tipton may have been in an excellent part of town...but a city as large as Boston had many possible dangers.

"Hey, maybe he went to Dad's place," said Zack.

That thought was a hopeful one to Carey. Even if Kurt wasn't home, both of the boys knew where he kept his spare key hidden. Cody would be safe there.

"Why don't you call your father," Carey told Zack.

"Yes," Mr. Moseby chimed in. "And while Zack's doing that, I'll go talk to his mother. She's done singing by now."

"No," Carey said quickly, drawing strange looks from both Zack and Moseby. "Um...I'll go tell her."

"London," the hotel manager said. "She's going to be very upset to find out that Cody is missing. I should talk to her."

"No," Carey insisted. "Um...it's my fault Cody ran off. I need to take care of this." She exited Moseby's office quickly to prevent any further discussion of the matter.

"I still wish I understood what was going on," Moseby said to Zack. "What did London do to upset Cody in the first place?"

"That's something she should probably explain," Zack said. "I'm not clear on all the details myself. But right now let's worry about finding Cody."

* * *

Carey went upstairs to her suite again to check for signs of Cody. After that, she went to London's penthouse, but was surprised when the heiress wasn't there. She'd hoped to find London so that she could join in the search for Cody.

_Could she still be down in the dressing room?_, Carey thought. She decided to go and see.

* * *

In the supply closet, London had forced herself to bite her tongue as Cody had detailed Portia's behavior on the web show. The heiress was very angry that Portia had ruined the latest episode, but she didn't think that was the cause of Cody being so upset.

And as Cody went on to explain how 'London' had defended him from Portia's insults, and then said so many nice things about him, the heiress had to smile.

_Of course she'd defend him, she's his mom_, she thought. _But she's also right in all she said. Cody is a great guy. I would have kicked Portia out too.  
_

But London's smile faded as Cody told her the rest of the story.

_Oh God!_ she thought. _Poor Cody! And poor Carey! Her own son...gross! But he doesn't know why she acted like that._

"And now, I can never face London again," Cody said. "She hates me."

"No, she doesn't. I swear she doesn't."

"You didn't see her face," Cody replied. Despite his efforts not to cry, one tear managed to escape his eye and run down his cheek. "I've ruined everything. I won't even have her as a friend anymore." He swallowed hard and another tear ran down his cheek. He turned his face to look directly into the eyes of the woman he thought was his mother. "And I really like her. I like her so much...and now it's ruined."

London was surprised at the depth of the emotion Cody was showing. "I never realized...London meant that much to you."

Cody looked down towards the floor and started to tell about his feelings for London and how they'd developed over time. How much he'd grown to appreciate her quirks and personality as they'd worked together on her web show. And how he felt he'd gotten to know the real person that was often hidden behind London's larger-than-life persona.

"She's a pretty amazing person," he concluded. "And her friendship means so much to me. I always just thought of her as a friend, but then when it seemed she was interested in me...I couldn't believe it. I was so nervous...but excited. Just the thought that I could have a chance with London."

The heiress felt very touched by Cody's words. She hadn't realized that he'd thought so highly of her.

"But I was a moron," he went on. "A complete idiot. How could I think she'd want a loser like me?"

"You stop that," London said. "You are not a loser at all. You're...great. You're one of the best people I know."

"You have to say that," he replied. "You're my Mom."

"No...I mean, yes. I mean...that doesn't have anything to do with it."

"Okay. But that doesn't change the fact that London hates me."

The heiress was quiet for a minute as she tried to think of a way to explain to Cody that such was not the case.

"You know how I've been spending time with London lately?" she asked.

"Yeah. She's been giving you fashion tips and stuff," he replied.

"Yes, and we've also been talking a lot. London's...not herself right now. And that's why she reacted like she did when you kissed her. It has nothing to do with you. She's just going to be a little weird this weekend. She should be fine on Monday though."

Cody was skeptical. "What's making her act weird?"

London was at a loss, but knew she had to come up with some sort of explanation. "She's...having a reaction...to...medicine. Yeah. She got some bad...allergy medicine. And it's giving her crazy mood swings. That's all."

"Allergy medicine?"

"I swear," London insisted. "She told me all about it. But she's going to be fine in a day or two. And then you'll see she doesn't hate you."

Cody still seemed unconvinced. "I don't know. I'd like to believe that."

"Hey," London said as she put a hand under his chin and tilted his head up so that they were once again looking each other in the eye. "I know for a fact she doesn't hate you. She...told me she likes you. In fact, she thinks you're...awesome. She cares about you a lot." She paused a moment. "She didn't even realize how much she cared until recently. But she does."

"I hope that's true," Cody said.

London gave him a hug and tried to think of something a mother would say to make a son happy. "Why don't you go upstairs and order some ice cream from room service? And then stay up late tonight and play video games if you want, does that sound good?"

"It's not bad," he said with a small smile.

They both got up and prepared to leave the closet, but Cody turned back and gave London another hug.

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too," she replied, adding a quick kiss to his cheek. "Now go on. I'll be up later."

When he turned and left, London stood still for a moment and pondered their little exchange. The words - _I love you too_ - had been an appropriate response to what he'd said. It was what a mother would say in such a situation.

London just found it interesting that she'd found the words so easy to say. And the kiss so easy to give.

As she left closet she saw that Cody was already gone, probably to the elevator already, but the hall was not empty. Carey was there, just leaving the dressing room. She caught sight of London and hurried towards her. Both women spoke at once...and said the exact same thing.

"I need to talk to you about Cody."

* * *

To be continued...

_**author's note:** Please comment. You know, I thought the last chapter would have gotten more responses...hope I didn't drive writers away with the latest developments.  
_


	14. Chapter 14

Carey was greatly relieved when London told her that she'd found Cody. She was also grateful that London had managed to comfort him.

The two women went back to Mr. Moseby's office and informed everyone that Cody was no longer missing. Zack called his father again to let him know not to worry, and then went upstairs to join his brother. Carey and London went up to the Tipton penthouse to talk privately.

"I still feel horrible about what happened," Carey admitted. "I want to talk to Cody, but I should wait until morning. I've put him through enough tonight."

"It wasn't your fault," London insisted. "You couldn't have seen it coming. I didn't."

"I'm going to have to figure out what to tell him." Carey sat down as she tried to mull over the right approach she should take with her son. "Your story about the allergy medication was a good start. You know...you're a lot smarter than you realize."

Cheered by the compliment, London sat down next to Carey. "So what do you think you should say to him in the morning?"

"Whatever I tell him, he's going to think you're the one he's talking to."

London nodded. "Well, then you should tell him, that I was out of my mind yesterday and that was the only reason I acted like I did. And tell him that he's one of my best friends, and I care about him a lot...and..." The heiress let her words trail off. She put her elbows on her knees and then raised her forearms up so that her chin could rest on her hands.

Carey could tell the younger woman was considering something. "There's something else you think I should tell him?" she asked.

London turned to face her. "I think you should tell him...that we should go out."

"Out? You mean on a date?"

London nodded again.

Carey looked worried. "I appreciate what you're trying to do. But I don't think it's a good idea. You shouldn't go out with Cody just because you feel bad about what happened."

"That's not the reason," London replied. "I do feel bad about what happened, but like I said, I care about Cody a lot. And now that I know he's got some feelings for me...maybe..." She trailed off again.

Judging from the look in her eyes, Carey could tell London was serious. However, she was still not sure if it would be wise for Cody to go out with her.

"I think you're a very nice girl," she told the heiress. "But Cody is in a vulnerable place right now. And also, you're older than him."

"I know. And I'd usually never date a younger guy. But Cody is mature for his age." London smiled. "And lots of people have told me I'm immature...so it should balance out."

Carey smiled slightly herself, but was still unconvinced. "It's just that Cody hasn't dated as much as you have," she said hesitantly, trying to choose her words carefully. "You might be...more than he's ready for."

London's eyes widened as she figured out Carey's meaning. "Oh...no, don't worry about that. I know there are lot of stories about me in the tabloids, but they're not true. I have dated a lot of different guys, but I'm a good girl. I swear. Second base is the farthest I've ever let a guy go with me."

"Actually, that's as far as I would've have guessed you've gone," Carey said. "I know you're a good girl. I don't believe that junk that's written about you." She gave London's shoulder a friendly pat. "But still, I think you're a little too...advanced for Cody."

Now London was confused. "Really?" The heiress started to speak hesitantly herself. "Um...you know, I don't want to upset you, but I'm sure Cody's been to second base a few times. I mean...come on, he and Barbara went out for over a year."

Carey started to disagree, but then a thought struck her. "London...what do you consider second base to be?"

The heiress told her, and Carey's jaw dropped. "That's it?!"

"Yeah," London answered. "What did you think it was?"

Carey proceeded to tell what 'going to second base' consisted of when she was a teenager.

"Ohmigod!" the heiress exclaimed as her own jaw dropped. "I mean...whoa! I've never done that." She gave Carey a questioning look. "I thought kids were supposed to be wilder today than they were back then. People say that all the time. But it sounds like people of your generation were animals."

Carey couldn't help but feel embarrassed. "To tell the truth, I did sort of hang out with a wild group when I was your age. I guess I was judging you and Cody by my experiences."

Feeling curious, London asked how first base, third base and a home run had been defined back in Carey's youth.

"That's really not important," she answered as she looked toward the floor.

"Okay, you don't have to tell me. But when you were my age...how far had you gone?"

"So, about you and Cody going out," Carey said, avoiding the question. "Are you sure you want to?"

"Yes," London answered. "One date at least. Don't worry, I'm going to be careful. I don't want to hurt his feelings and I don't want to screw up our friendship...and I'll tell him that. It's just that after all that's happened, I think he and I need to figure out if we're just friends...or if we could be more."

Carey was still worried about her son, but she did trust London. She told the heiress that she wouldn't object to her and Cody going out.

After talking a little more, it was decided that London would go down and spend the night in the Martin family's suite. That way everything would seem normal to Zack and Cody. Carey wished that she could sleep down there as well, but knew that was impossible.

Once Carey was alone in the penthouse, she lay down on London's huge bed and stared at the ceiling, wishing that she could be closer to her boys.

* * *

The next morning, Carey was awoken early by the ringing of the penthouse doorbell. When she went to open the door, she found a very-pleased looking Arwin.

"You'd better be here with good news," Carey said in a crabby tone. "I am not a morning person."

"I've got great news. You see I was online last night on the amateur inventor's message board. That's my favorite message board...besides the hotel engineers of Boston board, and the new hardware and hand tool review board...oh, and the Jedi fans of Massachusetts board, of course.

"Arwin!" Carey snapped. "Do you have a point?"

"Oh yeah. Yes, I do. I found a guy right outside of Boston who had a spare X-9 circuit board he was willing to trade. So I went last night and...TA-DAA!" With a theatrical flourish, he pulled a circuit board out of the paper bag he was holding.

"Does this mean you can fix your machine now?" Carey asked hopefully.

"That's right. No more waiting until Monday now. I can switch you and London back today!"

* * *

To be continued...

_**author's note:** Please comment._


	15. Chapter 15

London was just getting out of bed when her phone rang. It was Carey, who told the still sleepy heiress to get down to Arwin's workroom in the basement.

"He can switch us back!" Carey said excitedly.

That was all London needed to hear. Instantly she was out of bed and headed towards the door. Then she turned back, realizing she should probably change out of Carey's pajamas and into some real clothes before going downstairs.

* * *

In the basement, Carey watched as Arwin made the final adjustments to his brain wave transfer machine.

"It's all ready," he announced proudly. "As soon as London gets here we can...uuuuuuhhhh...WOW!" The hotel engineer got a strange look in his eyes and suddenly seemed unable to speak recognizable English as he stared over Carey's shoulder.

London had arrived.

This was the first time Arwin had gotten a good look at the makeover that London had given Carey's body and, needless to say, he was impressed. Even though the heiress had just gotten out of bed and had been in a hurry to get down to the basement, she had taken the time to apply some make-up and put on an attractive outfit. They were casual clothes...but the top was form-fitting and the short skirt showed off Carey's legs.

It was a wonder Arwin didn't pass out.

"This isn't going to work," Carey said. Looking around the room, she spied some items that could prove useful. Grabbing an old raincoat and hat from a coat rack in the corner, she threw them to London and told her to put them on. She then picked up some dark welder's goggles off a table and handed them to London as well. Once the heiress had put this makeshift ensemble on, effectively hiding her face and figure, Arwin was able to compose himself enough to speak.

"Carey," he said. "You...your body looks sooooooo beautiful!" While he was now coherent, he was still obviously lovestruck.

"London gave me a new look," she said impatiently. "But that's not important right now. You need to focus on making sure this works."

"Yes...yes, you're right," Arwin said. He handed the ends of two wires to Carey and told her to give one of them to London. Once each woman had hold of a wire, he flipped the main switch on his invention's control box.

This time, thankfully, neither Carey or London blacked out. They each merely felt a moment of dizziness, and then they looked at each other...and saw that they were in their proper bodies once more.

"YES!" Carey exclaimed as she dropped the wire. At the same moment, London also dropped her wire and threw her arms around the older woman to give her an enthusiastic hug.

"We're back to normal!" the heiress shouted joyfully.

Neither woman could contain themselves and continued to hug one another and laugh. Arwin, who was glad to see the positive outpouring of emotion, joined in the celebration for a bit...until Carey took off the raincoat, hat and goggles. Once again, the hotel engineer became incoherent. Carey merely shook her head at the man's behavior and then thanked him with a quick kiss on cheek...which caused him to faint.

After lifting the unconscious man onto his chair, London and Carey exited the basement. Both of them were still giddy with delight at being back to normal. Neither could remember having felt so good in a long time. While each of them had felt physically comfortable when they'd occupied one another's bodies, the experience of being back in their original skin was far superior.

"Okay...okay," Carey finally said. "We may be ourselves again, but we still have some things to take care of."

London nodded. "I need to talk to Cody."

"It's still early. Give him some time to get up and have breakfast first. That will give you a chance to think about all you want to say to him."

London agreed that this was a good idea. She and Carey then split up, as Carey was anxious to get back to her suite and spend some time with her boys.

* * *

London waited until almost noon before she approached the Martin suite. When she knocked, Carey answered the door.

"How's Cody doing?" the heiress asked.

"He's doing pretty well," Carey answered. "I told him you would be coming by to talk to him. And this is a good time. Zack just left to go play basketball with some friends. And I'm going to go down to the lounge to rehearse for tonight's shows."

Almost as soon as Carey had left, Cody emerged from the other room. He saw London and swallowed nervously.

Feeling nervous herself, the raven-haired beauty waved a tentative hello to the boy. "Cody, I...I am so sorry about yesterday. Please don't hate me!"

Taken aback by London's pleading tone, Cody didn't respond at first. "I was worried you hated me," he finally said.

"I could _never_ hate you," she replied as she stepped closer to him. "Never ever."

"Mom told me that you had a reaction to some medication, and that was why--"

"Why I acted crazy yesterday," London said with a nod. "That will never happen again. I promise."

"Still," Cody said quietly. "I shouldn't have kissed you like that."

"Let's make a deal. You and I are both going to forget about that kiss, okay? As far as I'm concerned, it never happened."

Cody took a deep breath. "That's probably for the best. We'll forget about it. We'll just try to forget and go back to being friends."

London shook her head. "I'm not sure about that."

Cody's face went ashen. "You don't want to be friends anymore?"

"Why don't we decide that after we've gone out?"

It took a moment for Cody to understand London's meaning. "You want us to go out?"

"I want you to take me out," she replied. "On a date. That is...if you want to."

Stammering a bit, the young man finally admitted that he did indeed want to take London out. They decided that their date would be tomorrow afternoon and that Cody would pick the place and activities. With that settled, London said goodbye to Cody and went back to her penthouse.

And there, she tried to tell herself that there was no reason to worry about tomorrow. It was just one date, after all. Just a single date...that would most likely determine the entire course of her future relationship with one of her closest friends.

Talk about pressure.

* * *

Down in the lounge, Carey had finished running through the numbers in her act. She didn't feel up to changing all the music back to her old act, so she had gone over the lyrics of all the songs that London had performed last night. Once she was confident that she wasn't going to stumble over any of the new songs, she began to head toward her dressing room to see if she wanted to make any changes in her wardrobe for the show. But before she got there, she ran into Esteban in the hallway.

"Hey Esteban," she greeted him cheerfully.

"Hello," he replied with a somewhat nervous smile. "I...I would like to ask you something."

* * *

To be continued...

_**author's note:** Please comment._


	16. Chapter 16

Carey waited for Esteban to ask his question. She could see that he was a little hesitant about whatever he was going to say, so she smiled and waited patiently. She was curious as to what he wanted to ask.

"I enjoyed your shows last night. Both of them. After the first, I stayed to watch the second," he said.

"Thank you," she replied. "I'm glad you enjoyed them. But that's not a question."

"Yes...yes, that is not a question." Esteban felt foolish. He swallowed once and forced himself to get directly to the point. "What I am trying to say is...there is a club downtown. It is a good place to dance. And after your final show tonight, I would like very much if you would accompany me there." He stood up straighter as he finished speaking. He was still nervous, but glad that he'd finally gotten his question out.

Carey was surprised. Even though she was aware that her makeover had captured the attention of so many people at the Tipton, she was still not used to it. Moreover, the fact that it was Esteban asking her out seemed even harder to believe, though she wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because they'd known each other for so long in a strictly platonic sense, or perhaps it was because he was younger. Whatever the reason, Carey found herself unsure of how to respond.

_I can't go out with him,_ she thought. _It's Esteban. He's too..." _

Oddly, Carey couldn't think of a specific reason why she couldn't go out him. The closest her mind could come to a rational argument against Esteban was that he was too young for her. Not just in years, but in attitude. Esteban was a kind and sweet-natured man, but those personality traits sometimes made him seem less mature than his chronological age.

"I'm very flattered--," Carey started to say.

"Then you will go with me?" Esteban interrupted, a hopeful look in his eyes.

Carey could read that look plainly, and felt reluctant to crush his hopes. But still, she couldn't say yes. She knew she couldn't. Yet, the more she repeated that fact to herself, the more she found herself wondering what would happen if she ignored her judgment and accepted Esteban's invitation.

_It's just one date,_ she thought. _And he's a great dancer. I haven't gone out dancing in ages. _

"Are you sure you want me to go to this club with you?" she asked. "There will probably be a lot of young women there, and I'm sure you could find plenty of dancing partners if you were by yourself."

"Oh, I go there by myself all the time," Esteban replied. "But tonight, I would like to go with you." He paused, and some of the nervousness in his manner faded. "I have always wanted to go to the club with a woman so beautiful that everyone else there would be watching us all night. And with you, I know that would happen."

Carey heard a soft girlish giggle...and then realized, to her shock, that the sound had come from her. She also realized that she felt much warmer than she had a moment earlier.

"So it is a date then?" Esteban asked, the hopeful look in his eyes stronger than ever.

"Yes," Carey said. "It's a date."

* * *

Maddie was at the candy counter when Esteban ran up excitedly.

"Maddie! She said yes!" he said, and then began speaking rapidly in Spanish.

Although she couldn't understand all that he was saying, Maddie knew that Esteban must have gotten a positive answer when asking Carey out. She smiled and let her friend ramble on until he calmed down. She was glad to see him so happy.

"So when's the big date? And where are you going to take her?" she asked.

"Tonight after her last show. We are going dancing." Esteban told the blonde about his plans for the evening, and listened to some of her suggestions.

"Thank you for all your help," he told her. "Without your encouragement I would never have asked Carey out."

"Hey, that's what friends are for," she replied.

But when Esteban left the candy counter to get back to work, Maddie sighed softly. She was truly happy that Esteban was so jubilant about his date with Carey, and she thought it would be great if the two hit it off and perhaps became a couple...but at the same time, she felt a tinge of jealousy.

Maddie's own romantic life was pretty much non-existent at the moment. While this allowed her plenty of time to study and earn money for college, it could also cause her to feel very alone on occasion. Watching Esteban pursuing Carey only made matters worse, especially since Maddie had realized, that if things were just a bit different, Esteban would have been someone she would have enjoyed going out with herself.

"When will I find a good boyfriend?" she said wistfully, not realizing that she was no longer alone.

"Hey Sweet Thang," Zack said as he approached the candy counter and heard Maddie talking to herself. "I'm right here."

The surprised blonde looked at her younger admirer and his confident grin, and then rolled her eyes.

"This is going to be one of those days," she muttered.

* * *

That evening, Carey's shows went perfectly. She was so happy to be back in her own body that her enthusiasm for performing almost matched London's energy from the previous night. And of course, Carey brought plenty of polish and professional flair that London had lacked. The applause was thunderous, far and away the best reaction Carey had ever received since she'd started working at the Tipton. As a result, she was in a very good mood when the time for her date with Esteban arrived.

And what a date it was.

Taking Carey dancing was by far the best choice Esteban could have made for a first date. At the Tipton, he was sometimes meek and overly-deferential, but on the dance floor he was commanding. And since he knew Carey was quite a skilled dancer herself, he had no hesitation in urging her to match him, move for move. Many times during the night, most of the other club patrons would simply step back and watch in awe as Carey and Esteban cut loose.

And when they would take a break from dancing to rest and have a drink or two, their conversation flowed much more easily than Carey had anticipated. Away from work, Esteban seemed far more mature and confident but still retained his sweet-natured personality. While they'd known each other for over three years, every conversation they'd had in the past had been between a bellboy and a mother-of-two.

Now they were having their first talk as a man and a woman.

It was a talk that continued after they left the club and returned to the Tipton. A talk that took them all the way to the door of Carey's suite. The two of them looked at the door at the same moment and wished that they were somewhere else. For the sight of the door meant that their date was about to come to an end.

"Thank you for coming out with me tonight," Esteban said.

"I should be thanking you," Carey replied. "I had a wonderful time."

"Then...perhaps you would like to do it again sometime?"

Carey hesitated for a moment. She'd told herself before the date started that she wasn't going to view the evening as anything more than a nice night out. She wasn't expecting it to lead anywhere.

Then again, what was wrong with going out dancing every now and then?

"I think it would be great to do this again," she said.

The words caused Esteban's eyes to light up with happiness. They made tentative plans for another night out, exchanged a few more friendly words, and then both grew silent.

Now was the perfect time for a goodnight kiss. They both knew it. But there was still a sliver of hesitation on both their parts. Not because either of them didn't want to kiss the other. In fact, they had reached the point were they were each dying to know what the touch of the other's lips would feel like.

Finally, Carey decided to throw caution to the wind. She closed her eyes and leaned forward, only to be surprised when her mouth collided with Esteban's. He'd chosen the exact same moment to lean forward with his eyes closed.

But after the initial surprise of contact, the two of them began to kiss with a passion that neither had anticipated. It felt so right. The next thing they knew, their arms were around each other and they were kissing like long-lost lovers who'd just been reunited.

When they finally ended their embrace, both were breathing hard.

"Oh, I wish the boys were staying with their Father this weekend," Carey blurted out, and then blushed furiously. She hadn't meant to sound like she wanted Esteban to spend the night on their very first date. Even if part of her did.

"There will be other weekends though," Esteban said with a smile. He took hold of her hand and raised it to his lips, kissing it gently.

"Yes," she answered. "There will be."

And after one more kiss goodnight, Carey said goodbye to Esteban and went into her suite.

* * *

To be continued...

_**author's note:** Please comment._


	17. Chapter 17

When Cody woke up on Sunday morning, he saw that Zack was already awake and getting dressed. This was not the usual order of things, as Cody was normally the early riser. Unfortunately, he had not had a restful sleep, as he was anxious about his upcoming date with London.

"You going to stay in bed all day?" Zack asked.

"I might as well. I still don't know where I should take London today."

Zack shook his head. "You over think things too much. Just take her to a movie. Something scary so she'll grab onto you during the worst parts."

"You don't understand. I want this to be special."

Zack shrugged. "Well, there's not a lot to do on a Sunday. You two didn't pick the best time for a date." He paused. "You know it's still weird for me to think about that. You and London...on a date."

When Cody got out of bed, he and his brother quietly left their bedroom and went into the suite's living room, which also served as their mother's bedroom. Carey was still asleep, with a very contented look on her face.

"I know that look," Zack whispered. "Bet she's dreaming about George Clooney again."

"Either that or she had a nice time on her date last night," Cody whispered back.

"Huh? She had a date?"

"Don't you remember before she went to work last night?" Cody asked. "She said someone had asked her to go dancing after her last show, so she'd be out late."

Zack recalled something his mother had said about going out, but he hadn't been paying full attention at the time as he'd been playing a videogame. "Do you know anything about the guy she went out with?"

Cody shook his head. A moment later, he and his twin heard their mother sighing happily in her sleep.

"Whoever he is, sounds like Mom had a good time," Zack commented.

Both brothers were glad of that. Though they sometimes had different ways of showing it, each twin appreciated all their mother did for them. However their gladness was replaced by surprise when Carey sighed again and spoke aloud as she slept.

"Ohhh...Esteban," she cooed dreamily.

"Esteban!" Zack exclaimed, startling Carey awake.

"Who? What? Wha...oh," she said as she sat up in bed. She looked over and saw her sons. "Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry about that," Cody said, apologizing for his brother. "But Mom, did you know you talk in your sleep?"

When the twins informed Carey of what they'd heard, she blushed and then answered their questions...informing them of who her date had been. She also told them that it had been a very nice evening and that she and Esteban had plans to see each other again.

"Neither of you have a problem with that, do you?" she asked.

Cody answered first. "No. We like Esteban. It's just a surprise."

Carey smiled. "It was a bit of a surprise to me too."

"Everyone's surprised," Zack chimed in. "Wow, Mom's a cougar."

"Don't call her that," Cody protested.

"It's not an insult," he replied. "It's cool. Older woman going out with a younger man. It's trendy." He turned back to Carey. "You're very cutting edge, Mom."

"It's nice to have your approval," she said. "But let's avoid terms like 'older woman' when talking about me."

As the family sat down to breakfast the conversation eventually shifted from the topic of Carey and Esteban to that of Cody and London.

"I still don't know what we should do for our date," Cody complained. "And I don't have much time to figure it out."

Carey tried to comfort her son and advised him to relax. She went to the door and opened it to find the Sunday paper on the floor outside. She picked it up and brought it to Cody.

"Look and see if there's anything going on today that you and London could enjoy together," she suggested.

Cody didn't feel confident that the paper would offer him any help, but when he turned to a list of local happenings, his face lit up. "That's perfect," he said.

"You've found something?" Carey asked.

"Yes, and it's something I think London will like." He got up from the breakfast table and hurried towards his room.

Curious to what had excited Cody, Carey and Zack both looked at paper left on the table. The page it was turned to was about local museums and art galleries.

"I don't get it," Zack said. "I know Cody likes this egghead stuff, but does he really think London will?"

Carey was similarly doubtful, until she saw the description of an attraction at a nearby museum. She smiled as she pointed it out to Zack.

"Ah," he said. "He may be onto something."

* * *

Later that day, Zack's prediction turned out to be accurate. Cody had indeed been 'onto something' when choosing the venue for his date with London.

"Why didn't anyone ever tell me museums could be this much fun?" London said excitedly. She'd been at the museum with Cody for well over an hour now and she was in no hurry to leave. Even though she'd looked at all of the featured displays, she asked Cody if they could go back and look at each one again.

He gladly obliged her, and at the same time silently thanked whatever heavenly power had been responsible for having this particular exhibit shown at this particular museum on this particular day.

_**The History of Haute Couture: Fashion through the Ages**_ was proving to be a big hit with London. She was delighted as she looked at all the mannequins wearing recreations of clothing from times past. It was just as enjoyable as the fashion shows she loved so much.

Of course, it wasn't just the clothing that the heiress was enjoying. Cody was proving to be a very captivating companion. As London looked at the clothing, Cody would tell her all sorts of fascinating facts about what she was looking at. Usually history had never interested London, but Cody was managing to hold her attention quite handily.

_It's like he knows everything,_ she thought, as Cody explained to her the meaning of the red ribbons that some ladies wore around their necks at the time of the French Revolution. The next thing she knew, she was listening to a spellbinding description of the "Reign of Terror" - where thousands upon thousands of French citizens were publicly executed.

"And some people wore those ribbons because they thought they might be the next ones to get their heads chopped off?" London asked in disbelief after Cody finished his explanation. "That's crazy! Why would they do that?"

"It was their way of dealing with what was happening around them," he answered. "Executions were so common that it became an accepted part of everyday life. Instead of being disgusted by it, many people looked at it as entertainment. They even romanticized it. That's one of the theories why so many young women were chosen to die."

"But these women wearing the ribbons, it's almost like they were...looking forward to it."

"Some of them may have been," Cody went on. "As twisted as it was, it was sort of like being a celebrity. People wrote poems and songs about the way the condemned went to their deaths. It was a source of pride for people to show no fear as they were marched up to the guillotine. Some victims would actually wave to the crowds and take bows before kneeling down to have their heads cut off."

"Geez," London said. "And I thought being famous was tough today. I'm glad I didn't live back then."

Cody laughed. "If you had, I'm sure you would have had the most poems written about you. You'd have been the sexiest girl ever to be decapitated."

London stared at Cody as those words left his mouth, and he grew embarrassed when he realized what he'd just said. But after a moment the heiress started to laugh.

"That is the nicest, and the weirdest, compliment I think I've ever heard," she said.

Cody was relieved he hadn't offended the heiress. In fact, her laughter had never sounded better to him.

"I'm glad you're having a good time," he said. "I was nervous about how this day would go."

"I was too," she confessed. "But this is so much fun. Spending time with you...like this."

The two walked over to a bench in a quiet corner of the museum and sat down.

"You know," Cody said. "Last night I kept thinking about all the things that could go wrong on our first date."

London said nothing.

"Let's face it," he continued. "Most people wouldn't expect a guy like me and a girl like you to go out together."

London nodded, and then Cody didn't say anything else. After a while, the heiress finally broke the awkward silence.

"What are you thinking now?" she asked.

"I've still got some worries. You're my friend, and if something happened and we weren't friends anymore...I don't think I could take that."

"Then we need to promise that we can always be friends, no matter what," she said.

"But if we start dating and things go badly--"

London cut him off. "I promise we'll still be friends. Why are you so scared?"

Cody looked at the floor. "When I kissed you the other day and...things went wrong, I thought you'd never want to see me again."

London leaned against Cody and closed her eyes. She knew how much that incident had upset him. And it was so unfair. The only reason it had happened was because of a truly bizarre set of circumstances that Cody himself didn't even know about.

_He thinks of that as his first kiss with me...and I wasn't even there,_ London thought.

Making a decision, the heiress opened her eyes and sat up straight. She reached over to Cody and turned his head so that they were directly facing each other.

"Do you trust me?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Then I want you to know that whatever happens, we will always be friends." She paused. "Now kiss me."

Cody blinked. "W-What?"

"I said kiss me."

He started to say something but London put her hand to his mouth to silence him.

"I'm going to count to three," she said. "And when I get to three, your lips better be touching mine. Understand?" She removed her hand from his mouth and started counting slowly. "One..."

Cody couldn't believe that London had just given him such an ultimatum. A multitude of worries and doubts flashed through his brain.

"Two..."

But then he looked at the beautiful face of the girl before him. The large dark eyes that were so lovely were also so full of determination. She wasn't going to take no for an answer. And that mouth...that exquisitely shaped mouth. Was there ever another mouth that was so perfect? So meant for kissing?

"Thr--umph!"

London didn't get to finish counting...as Cody's lips had reached hers before she was done.

* * *

To be continued...

_**author's note:** Please comment._


	18. Chapter 18

It didn't start off as the best of kisses. Cody was still a bit scared because of what had happened last time, and London hadn't expected the kiss to start until after she'd finished her countdown.

But after the initial moment of strangeness, everything got better. Much better.

Amazingly better.

_Cody's kissing me_, London thought. _I'm kissing Cody. Good God! Where'd he learn to kiss like this? _

She didn't ponder that question too long, as she was enjoying the sensation of Cody's kiss too much to entertain further rational thought. She put her arms around Cody and held him tight as their kiss continued. She reached up with one hand and ran her fingers through his golden locks, and a second later she felt her own hair being touched as he returned the favor. All the while, their kissing went on. Neither had any inclination to halt what they were doing.

Unfortunately, a museum security guard didn't share the same inclination.

"Enough of that you two," the man said as he approached the startled teenagers. "Have a little decency here."

London and Cody were both red-faced as they broke their embrace. Cody mostly from embarrassment, but London more from anger. She glared at the surly-looking guard.

"Now don't be giving me a dirty look, Missy," the man said.

"Don't you talk to me like that," she shot back angrily.

"Yeah," Cody chimed in. "There's no need to be rude."

"Enough of that backtalk," the man replied. "Both of you get out of here if you can't behave."

"Why you--" London began angrily, but Cody took hold of her hand.

"Come on, let's go," he said. "This guy isn't worth it."

"I'm going to have Daddy buy this museum and fire him," she said as Cody led her to the exit. She kept fuming until they were both outside but once her anger started to subside, she noticed that Cody was gazing at her with a shy smile.

"You're very pretty when you're angry," he said.

She felt light-hearted and giddy at the way Cody looked at her when he spoke.

"You're a really good kisser," she answered. This caused him to blush more, which London found adorable. She took hold of his arm and they walked together away from the museum and into a nearby park. When they saw an empty park bench, London guided Cody to it and they both took a seat.

"Now," she said with a devilish smile. "Let's pick up where we left off."

Cody thought this was an excellent idea.

* * *

Back at the Tipton, Zack had just stepped into the lobby when he ran into Esteban.

"Hey, it is one of my favorite little blonde peoples," the bellboy said. "How are you today?"

"Good," Zack answered. "But you know Cody and I are getting a little too old for that nickname."

"You are probably right," Esteban agreed. "From now on I will call you not-so-little blonde peoples."

Zack shook his head. "Why not try our actual names?"

"Okay, I will try that."

Having settled that issue, Zack decided to bring up a different topic of conversation. "So you and Mom are going out now?"

"Ah, she told you this?" he asked. When Zack nodded, Esteban's manner became more serious. "I like your mother very much. I hope you and your brother do not object to me seeing her."

"It's all good. Mom seems happy," Zack replied. "Just don't do anything to hurt her...or you'll be answering to me."

"I give you my solemn word," Esteban said.

"Cool. You know I have to admit, I was surprised when Mom told us you two had gone out. I never knew you liked her."

Esteban proceeded to explain how his attraction to Carey had developed, and in the process he detailed how Maddie had encouraged him to pursue his feelings. When Esteban recounted some of the advice Maddie had given him, he didn't notice that the happiness in Zack expression slowly began to fade.

"So let me get this straight," Zack said. "Maddie told you not to worry about the age difference between you and Mom? She said it wasn't important?"

"Yes, and I am glad she did. She was right. If two people have feelings for each other, they should not let a difference in ages stand between them."

"Yeah," Zack replied flatly. "I couldn't agree more."

"I'm afraid, I have to go back to work now," Esteban said. "But I will talk to you again later."

"No problem," said Zack, barely paying attention to his friend at this point. As Esteban walked off, Zack turned his gaze across the lobby to the candy counter where Maddie was working.

_All this time_, he thought. _All this time I've kept asking her out and she always says the same thing...I'm too young for her. But then she tells Esteban that age doesn't matter. _The more he considered this, the more pained his expression grew.

Mr. Moseby noticed Zack standing motionless in the middle of the lobby. He approached the young man and spoke.

"Zack? Do you want something?"

"Yeah," Zack said quietly, never taking his eyes off the girl behind the candy counter. "I do want something. But apparently I'm never going to have it."

With that, he turned and headed quickly to the elevator, leaving a puzzled hotel manager to wonder what was wrong.

* * *

That night when the Martin family sat down to dinner, Carey questioned Cody about his date with London. He happily announced that things had gone well and that he and the heiress would be seeing each other again. There was plenty of happiness at the dinner table that night, with both Carey and Cody in excellent moods due to their new relationships. As a result, neither noticed that Zack's behavior was much more subdued than usual.

After dinner, Carey went up to London's penthouse to have a talk with the heiress. After all they had been through that weekend, Carey felt a strong bond with the young woman. As a result, she wasn't going to object to London dating her son. But that didn't mean there weren't going to be some ground rules.

Fortunately, London had no problem in agreeing to Carey's terms. The heiress felt that she understood the older woman's outlook very well, after having spent some time in her shoes.

"This past few days have been pretty unbelievable," Carey commented as she relaxed on London's couch.

"Tell me about it," the heiress replied. "But I'm happy with the way things turned out."

"I want to thank you, London. Some of the things you did made some very positive changes for me."

"You did a lot for me too."

"Please," Carey said dismissively. "All I did was ruin an episode of your web show and scare one of my sons half to death. You did a much better job as me than I did as you."

London shook her head. "But I had it easy. All I did was go out and have fun. I got to shop, and sing. But you had to try and be me while at the same time still worrying about Zack and Cody. And still you had time to help me when I needed advice." She paused. "And now you trust me enough to let me date Cody. I can never thank you enough for that."

Touched by London's words, Carey reached out and gave the heiress a hug. A hug that the younger woman gladly returned.

* * *

To be concluded...

_**author's note:** Please comment. The next chapter should hopefully be the big finish._


	19. Chapter 19

In the days that followed London and Cody's date, news about the young couple spread quickly. None of their friends had expected romance to bloom between the two, and they quickly became a favorite topic of conversation for many. Maddie was one of those that took part in such talk. While she'd had a hard time believing it at first, she quickly came to support the new development for her friends, as they both seemed quite happy.

But while London and Cody may have been commanding a lot of attention, Maddie wasn't unaware of her other friends. She noticed that Zack had not been stopping by the candy counter to talk to her like he usually did. In fact, he seemed to be avoiding her. One day as her shift was ending, Maddie caught sight of Zack heading towards the elevator. She rushed to catch up with him.

"Hey Zack," she said with a smile. She was surprised when his only response was little more than a grunt.

"Zack," she said with concern. "Is something wrong?"

"Like you care," he replied sullenly.

"How can you say that?" she protested. "Of course I care. You're my friend."

"Really?" Zack's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Do you lie to all your friends, or just to me?"

Maddie was utterly confused. "What are you talking about?"

Face to face with Maddie after days of avoiding her, Zack found himself unable to hold back. He told her exactly why he was upset, and why he felt he'd been lied to. He finished with an angry conclusion.

"Mom and Esteban, you're all for it. London and Cody, you have no problem with. But you and me? You keep saying I'm too young. That's just an excuse. The truth is you don't care about me at all. If you did you'd have had the decency to be straight with me from the start."

Taken aback by Zack's accusations, Maddie took a moment before responding.

"I can see why you feel that way," she said quietly. "But it's not true. I swear. I didn't lie to you. You are too young for me Zack."

"But Mom and Esteban--"

"Are both adults," Maddie said, cutting him off. "They don't have to worry about an age difference."

"London and Cody are our ages," Zack countered. "And London doesn't seem to have any problem dating a younger guy."

"I'm not London!" Maddie said loudly. "I can't do what she does!"

The intensity of Maddie's outburst surprised Zack...and Maddie herself.

"Whoa," she said in an embarrassed tone. "It's been so long since I've been jealous of London...I didn't know I still had those kinds feelings in me."

"I don't understand."

Maddie led Zack over to a couch in the corner of the lobby. Once they sat down, Maddie explained her view of things.

"Zack, I haven't dated anyone seriously for some time now. I'll have one or two dates here and there, but never anything that leads anywhere. And it sucks because...I'd like to be in a relationship. I want to have a boyfriend."

"Then why don't you?"

"Because right now everything in my life has to take a backseat to my college plans. The only guy I could date right now would be someone who would be going off to the same school that I am...and I don't even know which school I'm going to choose yet. So that's why you're too young for me, Zack. If we were to start dating, it would only hurt more when I have to say goodbye." She sighed. "And that's going to hurt enough as it is."

Zack studied Maddie's face carefully. He knew she was telling the truth. He also realized something else.

"You've thought about going out with me," he said.

Maddie gave him a small smile. "It's been sort of hard not to. Seeing as how you've been bringing up the idea almost every day for as long as I've known you. The truth is, when we first met you were just a kid. But as we've both gotten older...let's just say I don't think of you as a kid anymore."

Zack took a moment to digest this information. He felt heartened to know that Maddie had at least considered dating him, but disappointed that he'd been unable to win her over.

"When you go to college...I'll come visit you on weekends," he said. " And holidays. We could make it work."

Maddie shook her head. "You know we couldn't. The next few years, I'm going to be figuring out what I'm going to do with my life. You're going to be doing the same thing. We're going to be meeting a lot of new people and making lots of choices. You can't expect a long distance relationship to work through all that."

As much as he didn't want to face it, Zack knew she was probably right. Still, he tried one last argument. "London and Cody are going to have to face the same problems."

"London isn't going to college this Fall. And when she does...if she does...she can afford to go anywhere she wants at anytime. The girl has her own jet! She and Cody won't ever have to be separated for long."

Both of them sat quietly with each other for awhile.

"Will you still come back for my prom?" Zack finally asked, bringing up the long-ago promise Maddie had once made to him.

"If you want me to, I will," she replied. "I gave you my word. You might have a girlfriend by then though."

"But if I don't--"

"I'll be there." She paused and placed her hand on Zack's knee. "So...are we good?"

Zack started to nod, but then hesitated. "Can I ask for one more thing from you?"

"I guess. What?"

"This."

The next thing Maddie knew, Zack had pressed his lips to hers. Initial shock stopped her from pulling away, and after those first few moments, she found she had no desire to pull away.

For his part, Zack believed he may never have the chance to kiss Maddie again, so he was determined to put all his feelings for her in this one impulsive act. For all that though, he was not forceful. He simply tried to make the kiss just like he'd always dreamed his first kiss with Maddie would be.

When they slowly pulled away from each other, Zack saw that Maddie didn't seem angry.

"Now...are we good?" he asked.

A wide smile spread across Maddie's face as she nodded. "Yeah. And if there was any doubt before, believe me...I definitely don't think of you as a kid anymore."

With matters between settled, they both stood up, but then Zack had one more thought.

"Oh, and just to be clear," he said. "I'm still going to call you Sweet Thang."

Maddie laughed. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

A little over three weeks had passed since London and Carey's body switching misadventure, and most everything at the Tipton was going well.

The school year had just ended and Maddie was now a High School graduate. She had a number of college acceptance letters and was going to make her final decision on which school to attend soon. But no matter where she ended up going, she did plan to keep working in the Tipton throughout the summer. She was going to miss all her friends at the hotel when she went off to college, and wanted to put off saying her goodbyes for as long as possible. She enjoyed every moment she got to spend with the gang at the Tipton...especially the moments with Zack.

London was going to have to repeat her senior year, but she had voluntarily signed up for summer school classes to help catch up on all the credits she was short. Mr. Moseby was quite pleased with London's new attitude towards school, and did his best to encourage her. With support from both Moseby and Carey, along with tutoring from Cody, London was confident that she was going to be a much better student.

On the relationship front, things couldn't have been going better for Cody and London. The unlikely pair were an incredibly good influence on each other. Cody helped London develop not only her intelligence, but her empathy and sensitivity towards others as well. She'd always been a caring person deep down, but in the past she'd get so wrapped up in herself at times that she'd be unaware of other people's feelings. Cody, always the sensitive soul, was a great example for her to follow. In turn, London's forceful personality and exuberance for adventure and fun rubbed off on Cody. He became far more carefree and confident than he'd ever been before. The two of them were always happy whenever they were together, and the love between them grew stronger each day.

But if things were great for Cody and London, then they were utterly spectacular for Carey and Esteban. The initial chemistry they felt on their first date proved to be no fluke. Carey felt like a teenager again whenever she was around Esteban. And a simple smile from Carey was enough to make Esteban feel like the king of the world. Seeing the bond between the two, everyone else at the Tipton accepted the new relationship easily, except Arwin who eventually took two sick days to stay at home and cry over losing the woman of his dreams. However, when he returned he was very gracious to the new couple.

"Carey, I want to tell you something," Arwin told the singer. "I'm very happy for you and Esteban. And I hope for nothing but the best for you."

"Thank you," she replied in a gentle tone. "That's very big of you. And I appreciate it a lot. I know this must be hard for you."

"It is," he agreed. "But it's for the best. You and I just weren't meant to be. But I hope we'll remain friends."

"Of course we well," she reassured him. "And don't worry. The right lady will come along for you someday."

Arwin smiled slightly. "Actually, there is a lady I've always sort of been interested in. And now that I'm...over you, I think I'll try talking to her."

"That's great," Carey said in a cheerful tone. "That's the best thing for you to do. Talk to this woman, see if there's a connection."

"I'm going to. You know, she works here at the hotel."

"Really?" Carey asked. "Who is it?"

Arwin started to answer but became distracted at the sight of a maid heading towards the elevator. "Oh, there she is now. I'm going to go say hi to her."

With that, he hurried off. Carey looked to see if she recognized the maid Arwin was following, and her smile faded when she did.

It was Grace.

Carey shook her head and sighed. "Oh Arwin...you just can't catch a break."

* * *

Mr. Moseby was in his office when London came in carrying a shopping bag. She took the seat in front of his desk and pulled out a card from the bag.

"What do you think of this?" she asked as she handed it to him.

Looking at the card, the hotel manager found that it was a custom made greeting card with a picture of Mr. Tipton and London on the front. On the inside, it simply said - _Happy Father's Day_. _Love, London_

"Ah, you've picked out a gift for your father already?" Moseby asked.

London nodded and then pulled a package out of the bag. Opening it up, she revealed an expensive silk tie.

"Very nice," Moseby commented. "And this is a lovely card. But when was this picture taken?"

"Oh, it's two pictures," London explained. "You know I don't have many pictures with Daddy and me together, so I had Cody take a new one of me and Photoshop it with an old one of Daddy."

"Hmm," Moseby replied. "Well done. I'll see that these are delivered to your father by overnight mail."

"Thanks," London said. "You know, I had to go through a lot of pictures to find the right one for the card. And looking through them all, I found a lot of pictures of me and you together." She slowly reached into her bag and pulled out a leather covered photo album. "I had copies made of all of them and put them together in this." She placed the album on the desk. "I thought you might like them."

Moseby looked at London and gave her a small smile as he picked up the album. "That's very thoughtful of you." Flipping the pages open, he saw that the pictures had been arranged in chronological order, beginning when London was just a toddler and ending with her most recent photos. The pictures of London and himself brought back many memories.

"And here's the other part of your gift," London said as she pulled another package from her bag.

"Gift?" said Moseby. "What..." His words trailed off as he opened the package. Inside was a platinum Rolex watch. A breathtaking one with diamonds studded around the watch's face. It was engraved on the back.

_To Moseby_

_Happy Father's Day _

_From London_

"L-London," he sputtered. "I can't accept this. It's far too expensive."

London laughed. "Hello. Did you forget who I am? Nothing is too expensive to me."

"But Father's Day is for...fathers," Moseby replied.

London stood up and opened the photo album to the inside back cover, which Moseby had not yet looked at.

"I didn't write this," she explained as she pointed to the message that was written there. "I mean, I did but Cody came up with the words. He told me what to write after I told him what kind of message I wanted to give you. So the words aren't mine, but the feelings are."

The hotel manager read the words in silence.

_Marion Moseby,_

_Many men can have children, but it takes a special kind of man to be a Father. _

_Thank you for being mine, _

_London_

So overcome with emotion that he was unable to speak, Moseby slowly put the album down on the desk. He could only look at London as she rose from her chair and walked around the desk to him. However when she put her arms around him, he did manage to return the hug.

"I love you Moseby," she said.

"I love you too," he replied softly. Then after a long pause, he added, "Thank you."

When the hug ended, Moseby took a deep breath and then somehow forced a no-nonsense, business-like expression back onto his face. "Well, you run along now, London," he said. "I do have a hotel to manage."

And with a cheerful goodbye, the heiress made her exit.

* * *

The End.

_**author's note:** Thank you everyone who read and reviewed. Please let me know what you think now that the story is finished. Also, I sort of have an idea for a follow up story (well, possibly two follow up stories) - but they might be more than ambitious than I can handle. Would you like to see a continuation of this storyline or some new unrelated **Suite Life** stories (which I have **LOTS **of ideas for). _


End file.
